Reflections of Time
by DreamMelody
Summary: I was there from the beginning of time. My duty? Watching. A spectator of time and space. Watching people live and die. Seasons change. Eons pass. All behind firmly closed doors of the purest white. How could I not protect the ones that opened them up for me? With each tick of the clock the time is drawing near.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back! This is a sequel to my story The Awakening so I suggest you read it first, if you haven't already, in order to understand things better. I will try to update weekly but no promises there. I'm pretty busy and in desperate need of vacation. Anyway, English is not my mother language so be merciful.** **I don't own Sailor Moon and you all know it!**

 **Reviews are always appreciated.**

 **Prologue**

The universe. The universe is huge. Vast. Infinite even. It stretches on for miles and miles without an end. If one doesn't know their way around or doesn't have a capable guide for company, they can get lost in its expanse, doomed to wander around the different worlds without knowing if there is a chance of finding the way back home or to an intended destination.

Now the space around Earth was lost in stillness and quietness. It was still on the sweet process of relaxing after the intense battles it had witnessed a whole of two entire months ago. But the stars weren't fooled so easily. They are wise and knowledgeable. They had breathed a sigh of relief at first, but now they knew that they were witnessing just a mere calm before the storm. They conversed with one another mentally, since their friend on the blue planet would most likely think that he was going crazy if he happened to hear otherworldly voices speaking in his mind. The central star was the one that made the final decision as always. And as a comet disrupted the peace that the stars had so much adored, the Sun commanded his rays to traverse through the precious planet in front of him and carry his warning to the only one who could hear his call at the present time.

The high priest of Elysion was hit by a sudden headache when his eyes connected with the hot sphere above, that kept a close eye on his prince and his planet even when his royal highness was asleep under the silvery moonlight. The visions entered his mind in an almost tortured rush and he gasped as he kneeled on the marble floor of the corridor, one hand pressed hard against the nearest wall giving him some needed stability and the other one clutching his robes tightly. The visions stopped and disappeared, but his mind was still racing maybe even faster than before the information came in. He got up with a little effort, his mind still a bit exhausted and hazy from the struggle it was forced to go through. Forced. The Sun had never forced data into him before. That made the situation even more dire and important. An emergency! Yes. That's what it was. Because they didn't remember the past. Their memories were sleeping, buried in a dusted corner of their hearts hidden carefully behind a locked door.

Helios stopped in his advance to think about his course of actions. Should he allow the keepers of the keys to walk into the surface once more? Yes. Yes, he definitely should. Will they accept? What a pointless question. It's not up to them anymore. On the other hand, Helios was convinced that they would run up to meet them without a second thought. They had to see them for such a long time after all.

The priest knew that it was his duty to ensure that they would reach the surface safely, as he continued walking towards the gardens. He could even smell their sweet aroma as the double doors that lead to them appeared before him. But the who and when someone was going to remember was entirely up to the three of them. One thing was for sure, Helios concluded in his mind as he pushed the double doors open, the light breeze causing his white robes to fly around his form. The time for another Awakening had at last arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1: The perks of returning to square one**

''Did you watch the news this morning?"

''I didn't need to. The comet actually fell somewhere near my apartment complex.''

"Really?", Motoki exclaimed intrigued as he and Mamoru made their way towards the exit of their common university. They were both relieved that evening classes had finished for the day. Another hour and the classroom would have been Mamoru's grave.''I thought it was an extremely strong earthquake until I opened the television this morning. All the channels are talking about it.''

''It's no surprise, really.'', Mamoru claimed. "Incidents like that don't happen every day. I believed it was an earthquake too in the beginning, but then I went outside and saw the crater. It had gained the attention of the whole neighborhood.'', he continued, remembering the fact that even the blonde-haired girl he bumped on every single day was there. Makoto had come along as well and Mamoru had sworn that he had seen a glimpse of Satoru somewhere nearby. He couldn't be sure though and so he hadn't told his little 'sister'. The last thing he wanted at that moment was running behind a frantic brunette, searching among a huge crowd of people for her crush. He had returned to his house after ensuring Makoto was safely in hers. Japan was a rather peaceful place, but there were some crimes occurring from time to time. And the thought of leaving Makoto walking alone through the night, even though he knew that she was more than capable of defending herself, had always been unsettling to him. In conclusion, he had ended up collapsing in an exhausted heap of limbs on his bed, regretting his earlier decision of studying till late. And on top of that, he had spent the rest of the night awake, staring at his one-colored ceiling until his alarm had gone off at 6:30. A sudden restlessness had gotten over him and he hadn't been able to close his eyes even for a minute.

''So, how was it?'', Motoki inquired with curiosity, breaking Mamoru out of his thoughts.

''How was what?'', Mamoru asked back confused.

''You know, the comet. Was it big? Was it small? Did it open up and aliens came out of it with the sole purpose to enslave humanity?''

''You actually believe in those things?'', Mamoru laughed.

''It's a free world we live in, so I am allowed to have my own opinions.'', Motoki huffed, crossing his arms across his chest in such a manner that wouldn't result in dropping his bag.

''Hey, I was just joking.'', Mamoru assured, patting his friend on the shoulder. ''But it was really just a big hole on the ground. The comet must have been small and thus it must have dispelled on its way towards Earth.''

''Wow, Mamoru. I didn't know you were interested in astronomy and the like.'', Motoki voiced, as the two men stepped on the university's courtyard.

''Not really.'', Mamoru shrugged. ''But my new acquaintance is studying astronomy here and I have picked up a thing or two from him.''

''You mean the new transfer student from America, Nishiyama Satoru?'', Motoki supposed.

''How did you know?'', Mamoru arched an eyebrow in question.

''Well, he is right there with Kaito and since the two of you became close friends from the start, I figured that it would be him.'', Motoki explained, pointing towards Kaito and Satoru who were talking casually outside of the university, most certainly waiting for Mamoru.

''You must consider being a detective.'', Mamoru suggested with a smirk.

''Well, this detective just remembered that he sadly is the professor's aide this week, so he has to go. See you later!'', Motoki waved, before running back inside the building. He had a lot of work to do and he was already rather late for it.

The black-haired man happily returned the gesture as he started walking towards his other two friends. They were laughing at something Satoru had said and Mamoru couldn't help but obtain the strange feeling that it was the most natural thing in the world. The picture of the three of them together along with Makoto and her classmate, Mizuno Ami, hanging out at the arcade seemed right in his mind. But still Mamoru felt like something or someone was missing from their company. He tried to find out who or what but the only thing he gained was a large headache. He looked up at the sky, hoping to find some answers, but none graced him with their presence. Eventually, he shrugged the thought off his mind when he spotted a few worried glances heading his way. He hated making his friends worried. It was nothing anyway. Just a thought that was created due to lack of sleep, his medical mind determined. Nothing. That was all it was.

* * *

"I think.. that I can't do this.", Apollo confessed with a deep sigh. He, Luna and Artemis were sitting on a tall tree just outside the university that three of their charges attended.

"You have to.", Artemis reminded, still looking at the three friends, casually interacting with each other without a care in the world.

"They look so happy.", Apollo continued.

"They will be happier when we awaken them and the others.", Luna pronounced.

"But it will be dangerous as well.", Apollo countered. "They will be lying to their families and friends once again. They will be running around putting their lives at risk."

"It is their duty.", Artemis declared with a sigh. "But maybe we don't need to awaken all of them. At least not all at once. The prince and princess should be a priority though. We certainly can't afford to leave them in the dark if an enemy is lurking around. For all we know they might be craving for power and for those who possess it. I say we investigate the new enemy first and then make our decision."

"That sounds nice, except for the fact that we don't know anything concerning its origins and its whereabouts.", Apollo added, perking up immediately at the more favorable suggestion.

"They are bound to make a move soon.", Luna remarked.

"Then it is time for us to inaugurate the little project we and Helios established in the duration of the past two months.", Artemis proposed.

"We have to wait until the night falls, though.", Apollo stated. "It is kind of risky, but I don't see any other option at this point."

"Hopefully the new threat will wait until then.", Luna anticipated. "At least that is what makes sense."

"At any rate, the sun should set soon. Let's get going.", Artemis instructed and after his companions shared a synced nod, they started heading towards their destination.

As Artemis had predicted, the moon had risen on the starry, night sky by the time the three felines came to a stop in front of the colorful building. They carefully climbed on its rooftop and entered from a slightly open window, left ajar a long time ago especially for this purpose. Luna was the first to land safely on the cafe's floor. Her pupils immediately adjusted to the lack of natural or technical light and she surveyed her new surroundings carefully. She raised a black paw into the air, signaling that the coast was clear and the two male cats landed gracefully beside her. The trio rushed downstairs and finally arrived at the floor where the arcade was located. Artemis hopped on the game machine in the middle of the first row and typed a secret code in an ancient language. With a small hissing sound a secret passage opened before them and Apollo led the way down the stairs. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the bottom of the staircase, where a vast, circular room was located with an advanced computer system at the center.

''It's a good thing we managed to finish this before this crisis emerged.'', Apollo exclaimed as he sat comfortably in one of the three seats surrounding the computer, his companions mimicking his action.

''The fact that it is connected with the data from Elysion is a bonus as well.'', Luna filled in, as the system was activated and a variety of smaller and bigger windows opened up in front of them.

''I'm searching for any unusual energy readings right now.'', Artemis announced, typing the necessary demands on the keyboard. He stopped only when a horizontal image of Earth appeared seemingly floating in front of them. The three felines held their breaths as the image slowly zoomed in on Japan and then Tokyo and then proceeded to stop in a very familiar house. Apollo's eyes widened when he realized what he was looking at.

''That's Motoki's house!'', he revealed, shooting up from his seat. The others gasped at his statement, understanding the importance of the new information they had in their paws. During the months they had stayed in Elysion they had shared their stories about the new world, especially everything they knew about their monarchs and their none magical environment. So, it came as a shock when Mamoru's long time friend was targeted by a new enemy with unknown motives. There was always the possibility of the enemy knowing who truly Mamoru was and wanted to get close to him by kidnapping his friend.

''Hey, look at this.'', Luna pronounced, gaining all the attention. Apollo stopped the flow of his thoughts instantly and stared at the footage that one of the street camera's they had hacked had to offer.

''Is that what I think it is?'', Artemis queried, narrowing his eyes since the quality of the image wasn't the best.

''Check it just to be sure.'', Apollo instructed, his eyes still glued on the screen. Luna nodded in confirmation and after a few types in order to make the image clearer she was certain.

''Yes, it is them. Mamoru and Usagi are nearby.'', Luna affirmed and a deep silence fell in the newly established control center.

''We have no choice.'', Apollo broke the silence. ''We have to awaken their memories and powers now.'', he declared and headed over the way they had come in without another word. Artemis and Luna followed him outside and into the night without the slightest hint of hesitation.

* * *

Usagi felt like she had just lived through one of the best days of her life as she walked towards her house at a steady pace, having left Naru's residence behind with a promise to spend the whole day together watching movies and gossiping about boys once again. Of course, the first few hours of her morning had been a living nightmare since she had been late to school again and as an addition she had forgotten her schoolbag in her room and had to run all the way back to retrieve it. As a result, her cruel teacher had forced her to stand in the hallway with a bucket full of water on her head and also humiliated her in front of the school's genius. But then two transfer students had been introduced to her school. In fact, they were two siblings, Ginga Seijuro and Ginga Natsumi. Natsumi, a pale-toned girl with brown eyes and reddish hair was put in her class but her brother, a brown-haired boy with blue eyes, was placed in another since he was a year older than her. And said rather handsome brother had played a beautiful tune with his flute just for her, but had stopped when his sister had shot him an outraged look much to the blonde's disappointment. Thus, the two transfer students were the main topic in the conversation she had with Naru. She and her had eventually come to the conclusion that the change of befriending Natsumi was close to nonexistent. She was just being jealous, because her brother had found a love interest and the two girls had figured out that it was best for the two siblings to work that situation out on their own. Usagi was planning to continue with her individual thoughts when she bumped into someone.

''Well, look what we have here. Now you are stalking at me in nighttime too?'', the voice of her encounter mocked and Usagi jumped back from the chest she had collided with in anger and frustration.

''Ah, I am not a stalker! And even if I was, you would be the last person on Earth-no on the entire universe- that I would choose to stalk Chiba Mamoru!'', Usagi huffed, her face red with embarrassment.

''Now, now. I am older than you. You should show more respect.'', Mamoru chided, unable to contain his laughter. He had been heading towards his apartment after a rather tough study session with Kaito since exams on his university were coming soon when he had collided with that tangle of blonde hair once again. They had a long history of bumping into each other every day. Actually, she was the one who did the bumping thing every single time, causing whatever he was carrying to fall to the ground. Remembering the books that he had borrowed from the library a few days ago, he bent down and started picking them up. He was a little surprised when his blonde neighbor bent down to aid him with the task. Their hands touched as they both made to pick up a red book about various terms in medicine that originated from latin words. Their heads were raised simultaneously and two different hues of blue met closely with each other. It was as if time had stopped moving around them as they gazed directly into each other's eyes, a feeling of nostalgia rising in their chests.

It was at that time that the three felines found them.

''Do it now!'', Artemis instructed, watching the couple from the wall he and his four-legged friends were standing on.

''Right.'', Luna and Apollo agreed and closed their eyes in concentration. The crescent marks on their foreheads shone brightly in the dark night, bathing the two royals in a marvelous display of magic.

The glow dissipated slowly and eventually disappeared completely.

Mamoru got up with all his books retrieved and Usagi followed suit.

''Um.. thanks for the help.'', Mamoru said, before turning around and leaving.

''Yeah.. it was nothing.'', Usagi shouted after him, her whole face as red as a tomato, before starting running towards her house with her heart beating like crazy.

''What..''

''..just..''

''..happened!?''

''We can't awaken them.'', Apollo voiced what they all knew, his eyes wide like circular plates.

''But how is this possible!?'', Luna gasped.

''We will look up on this later.'', Artemis interrupted, before Luna could start mumbling nonstop about their unlikely situation. ''The enemy is making a move right now and we have to interfere before something fatal happens.''

''And what are you going to do?! As far as I'm concerned neither one of us has powers and locating the others is going to be extremely time-consuming!'', Luna shouted in defiance.

''Guess again.'', Apollo murmured, stopping their argument. Artemis and Luna turned their eyes at the place where he was looking, one with seriousness and another with curiosity. Not another word of protest escaped Luna's mouth as they approached their new targets, hoping that this time their magic would work.

* * *

Tokyo was, is and will probably always be overcrowded. The hustle and bustle of the large city were known to stop only for the very late hours of the night, but even then there was a significant number of individuals that wandered around the streets, some with more risky ideas in mind than others. Tonight, though, the city was surprisingly quiet and as a result the melodic tune of a flute could be easily heard in the air. A bird, curious about its origin, followed the sound and ended up landing on the metal railing of an apartment, located very high above the ground. However, the sight its eyes witnessed unsettled it and so it flew away immediately, not long after it had perched itself on the balcony.

Inside the apartment, Eiru most commonly known as Ginga Seijuro played his flute, sitting on one of the thick roots of a huge tree. Of course, if one of his newest acquaintances was to see him, they wouldn't be able to tell it was him since he currently was in his alien form. His normal middle-lengthened brown hair had turned into a long mass of blue with a few pink highlights, while pointed ears were emerging from them. A light green color could be seen painted in every part of his body that wasn't covered by his suit-like clothing. His purple-hued eyes were closely watching his companion, as his hands raced across the flute.

Ginga Natsumi or An as her true name was, was lying unconscious on another thick vine, her long light pink hair with some blue highlights falling behind her like a cotton-candy waterfall. The mysterious tree glowed as the song started coming to its end. A small drop of energy was released from inside it and slowly An's pink eyes opened up to the world once again. In an instant she was back up on her feet and sitting next to Eiru.

"It seems that the energy we need to survive is running low.", Eiru commented, as he and An watched their precious tree slowly wither away.

"So, that's why I collapsed earlier.", An pronounced, thinking up at the black-haired stranger she had seen. It was a pity she had missed him, though. Hopefully, she was going to encounter him again somewhere and somehow. "I think we shouldn't worry too much about it. This planet is overflowing with life energy. That's why we came all the way here, didn't we? I did a lot of research before we landed and I discovered that among all the species that inhabit this planet, humans are the most sufficient for our purpose."

"Then, it is decided.", Eiru stated. "After wandering around for so long, we finally found our sanctuary. Our paradise."

"Eiru, what are you thinking about?", An suddenly asked with her serious eyes staring into her partner's.

"You, of course.", Eiru replied with a smile. "And you?"

"And what about that blondie you played for today?", An queried instead of answering his question.

"An, we have already been through this.", Eiru sighed, remembering the conversation or more correctly argument he and his 'sister' had, before the latter had collapsed due to lack of energy. He was in absolutely no mood to repeat it. Not now, not ever. "Now, An. Please pick the best cardian for this operation. You can predict the future better than anyone else in the universe.", he continued, presenting An with a set of silver cards, whose images were hidden from his view. He was completely unaware that in a misty place completely out of his reach a certain Senshi had found herself chuckling even though she knew that a great evil was approaching.

"Fine.", An huffed, her eyes softening at the compliment she had just received. With a flick of her hand a card was separated from its team and flew upwards. Eiru stood from his position on the vine and the card shone brightly as he played his flute once again. From it a creature that held a close resemblance to a vampire immerged. She was a light purple with blue hair and sharp fangs and with a big red flower in the place where her left hand should have been.

"Go my servant!", Eiru ordered. "Go and gather human energy for the Tree.", he demanded and the cardian disappeared to do its master's bidding. She teleported herself on the streets of Tokyo and drained the energy of every human being she encountered. A woman's screams echoed in the night, causing one individual to venture driven by instinct out of his home in search of the commotion's cause. While another missed the bus, she had been waiting for in order to investigate.

A yellow light captured the cardian's attention and she climbed up the open window of a neat two-story house. Motoki was cleaning up the kitchen after a light midnight snack, when he heard a strange sound coming from the second floor of his residence.

"Mum! Dad! Is that you? How did the dinner go?", he shouted and arched an eyebrow in confusion when he received no response. Setting down the plate he was cleaning up, he dried his hands and climbed upstairs. "It better not be you, sis. You are supposed to be at a sleepover with your friends. I will kill you if I catch you messing around with my belongings.", Motoki warned, when he saw that his bedroom's door was slightly ajar. He had sworn he had closed it before leaving. Fearing that it was a burglar, the green-eyed man grabbed the groom that was resting against the wall of the hallway and with a deep breath pushed the door open. His weapon fell to the ground from the sight he witnessed, but he didn't even manage to release a fulfilled gasp, before a pair of long orange vines shot towards him and started putting pressure around his neck and waist. Motoki tried to break free from the creature's gasp, but he soon found himself unable to move or breath as all the strength he had started rapidly leaving his body. He fell on his knees, unable to stand anymore, his head falling back as his energy continued to flow out of his body and his eyes closing. The last thing he saw before slipping into unconsciousness was a beam of light pushing the creature away and a feminine silhouette standing on his window sill.

Sailor Venus got ready for her first battle as the cardian set its attention on her. The orange veins were extracted from the red flower once again, but she expertly dodged out of the way. She continued doing that until she was certain she had caused the creature great frustration and anger. And really when she fled out of the window and into the streets, the cardian followed her in the race, breaking Motoki's window due to haste. However, the monster had just touched the ground when a direct sneak attack hit from above. She screamed as the attack overpowered her and disappeared forever, the card she had come from falling to the ground and turning completely black, sealing her demise.

''I didn't know they were people like you on this planet.'', a voice spoke, causing Sailor Venus to look upwards. Two figures were hovering in the air above her and the recently awakened Senshi didn't have to ask in order to know that they were the masterminds behind the operation.

''Who are you?'', she demanded, her hand instinctively finding its way to the chain that adorned her orange skirt.

''I'm a wanderer of the universe, Eiru.'', the male answered.

''Likewise, An.'', the female added.

''So, you are the ones that attacked the humans via that monster.'', her partner thought out loud, as he jumped from the rooftop he was previously standing on and landed beside her.

''What we did today is just the beginning.'', An announced with dark laughter escaping her glossy lips.

''That's right. This is not the last time we will see each other. If you are smart enough, you will get out of our way.'', Eiru boasted with a laugh of his own, before their forms disappeared from their view.

An awkward silence befell the two warriors after the enemies took their leave. Even when the three felines entered the scene, not a single word was exchanged. It took a lot of nerve for Sailor Venus to strike up a conversation as she was lost in the memories of her most recent life.

 _''You are not yourself tonight, darling.''_

 _Screams of pain._

 _''Why don't you give up?''_

 _''Never.''_

 _''I'm getting tired of doing this every night.''_

 _''Then wake up!''_

 _''Come on now don't start with this again. I am not leaving my Queen's side for your lies. In fact, I can't wait for you to die so me and my partner can join in the serious business.''_

 _''Sorry, but I am not planning to die here like this.''_

 _''And why not? You look miserable and it is just a fine night. We have fought each other for a long time. I may not know who is hiding behind that mask of yours, but I know your battling style. Something serious must have happened for you to let your personal feelings influence it. Why not die and rid yourself of the pain?''_

 _''There is something I must do. Someone I have to find.''_

 _''Well, I'm really sorry, but you won't be doing either of those things!''_

 _And with that Sailor Venus charged at her opponent with every bit of strength she possessed. She didn't need to because her enemy was already fatally wounded, but she wanted to be sure that he wasn't going to cause her any trouble once again. The masked hero was hit directly by the attack and Sailor Venus smirked victoriously at the sight. Her smirk didn't disappear even when her opponent teleported himself away with the little remaining energy he had left._

 _''Shouldn't we finish him, Venus?'', Artemis queried, venturing out of his hiding place._

 _''That would be a huge waste of time.'', Sailor Venus huffed with a flick of her hair. ''He will die soon due to his severe injuries.''_

 _''If you say so.'', Artemis shrugged. ''I trust that you know the limits of your power.''_

 _''Of course, I do. Now, come Artemis. Our next target is Japan.''_

''Nephrite, I..''

''Nishiyama Satoru.'', the brown-haired man interjected, offering her his hand with a smile.

''Aino Minako.'', Sailor Venus introduced hesitantly, as they shook hands.

''Nice to meet you. Again.'', Satoru grinned.

''I'm sorry for everything I've done to you.'', Minako apologized quickly, afraid of the possibility of being interrupted again.

''It's okay.'', Satoru replied at her surprise. ''It wasn't your fault.''

''But..''

''It's really okay. I learned the hard way that asking for forgiveness is not needed.'', Artemis recounted.

''Artemis!'', Minako gasped, only now realizing that she and Satoru weren't alone. ''And Luna, too! And you must be Artemis' brother.''

''Yes, my name is Apollo.'', the feline nodded in confirmation. They had been in such a rush previously that they hadn't had the time for a proper reunion.

''I am guessing that we won..'', Satoru trailed off, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

''That is correct.'', Luna approved. ''Two whole months have passed since the final battle.''

''I think we should discuss this somewhere else.'', Apollo advised, eyeing their surroundings warily.

''We can go to my house. I live by myself, so we shouldn't be disturbed by anyone.'', Satoru proposed.

''Alright, let's go.'', Minako agreed and Satoru teleported them away in an instant. Due to that it didn't take long for them to arrive at Satoru's apartment. The brown-haired man abandoned his uniform in favor of his casual more comfortable clothes and motioned for Minako to take a seat on the couch.

''You can change back if you want to.'', Satoru informed, positioning himself on the armchair of his living room.

''I rather not. Don't take it as if I don't trust you, but..''

''Stop being so defensive.'', Satoru interrupted with seriousness in his voice. ''Trust me when I say that I know how it feels to be in the Dark Kingdom and then suddenly be on the good side again. But now you are among friends. You don't need to explain yourself. Besides, I understand that our transformations take transportation to a whole new level.''

''Okay, let's get down to business.'', Artemis urged. ''First off, do you remember what happened in the final battle?''

''I don't know. I.. Kunzite killed me in order to get through.'', Minako confessed.

''Same here.'', Satoru agreed. ''I.. died as well. Where were the three of you all this time?''

''We have been watching over you from Elysion.'', Luna replied. ''We are sorry for ending your normal lives like this, but this new enemy needs to be apprehended.''

''Do you know anything about them?'', Minako inquired.

''Only that they came from space.'', Apollo revealed.

''The comet! Of course.'', Satoru exclaimed, coming into an epiphany. ''They must have been hiding in it or something.''

''I heard about that comet as well.'', Minako muttered. ''That explains why it didn't leave any trace behind.''

''This is troublesome.'', Satoru murmured. ''We have no clues to trace them. We can only wait until they strike again.''

''In the meantime, I think we should awaken the others.'', Artemis proposed.

''NO!'', Minako and Satoru echoed simultaneously.

''We should allow them to have normal lives.'', Minako continued.

''Besides, I can be around the prince and protect him if something happens.'', Satoru agreed. ''And I'm sure we can settle something for the princess as well.''

''You know where she is?'', Minako questioned.

''I haven't seen her till the final battle, but I know she attends a local school along with Mercury and Jupiter. Mars is going to a different school and Kunzite and Jadeite go to university together. The prince, Zoicite and myself attend another one.''

''I wish I could meet them once again.'', Minako sighed.

''Don't worry, I will introduce you.'', Satoru promised.

''Huh?''

''I mean, it would be better for us to stick together just in case. I normally hang out with Jupiter, Mercury, Zoicite and the prince. They won't mind if you join our company.'', Satoru explained. ''And we must find a way to befriend the others as well..''

"That would be nice.", Minako smiled in return.

"Before we decide to end this meeting, there is something you should know.", Artemis apprised them, gaining their attention. At the time Minako and Satoru were conversing over different but significant topics, the three felines had a small whispered dialogue of their own that led them to the hopefully right decision. Artemis shared a look with his brother and Apollo picked up the wheel.

"Before we spotted you wandering around, we had an encounter with the prince and the princess.", he told them.

"You awakened them?!", Minako accused more than questioned with a disappointed glare at the cats. As much as she wanted for her princess to remember her and forgive her for her sins, she didn't want to drive her away from her safe normal life.

"We tried, but it didn't work!", Luna cried, breaking the blonde away from her thoughts.

"What do you mean?", she heard Satoru inquire through her shock.

"We performed the spell, but nothing happened.", Apollo elaborated.

"How exactly does this spell work?", Minako asked, taking a calming breath to settle her nerves. No one in that room was to blame for this, including herself. _I am among friends_ , she reminded herself. _The Dark Kingdom is long gone and I will live a free life, just like Artemis has managed to do._

"Okay, listen closely.", Apollo demanded, clearing his throat. "Up until an hour or so ago you didn't remember anything about us or your powers or even the recent and also the not so recent events. However, those memories weren't simply erased. They were just buried deep in your consciousness. Our spell does nothing more than bring them to the surface. But, there is a condition: the memories have to be there."

"In short, you are saying that their memories have just.. vanished?', Satoru gasped.

''Something like that.'', Luna muttered.

''It might be the work of Eiru and An.'', Minako offered, eyes blazing.

''I don't think so. Those two are clearly after energy. They would have taken the energy of the crystals, if they knew anything about their holders. And I believe, memories aside, we would have known if something dire had happened to the prince and princess.'', Satoru countered with a shake of his head. After that statement a complete silence ensued with everyone thinking of a possible cause or a solution for their problem.

''Let's just focus on the enemies for now.'', Artemis sighed. ''We have nothing to base speculations on anyway.''

''Then I believe it's time for me to go.'', Minako announced, standing up and opening the apartment's balcony door. The chilly night air played constantly with her blonde hair as she climbed carefully on the railing. ''Luna, are you going to come with me and Artemis or stay here?''

''I'll come if you don't mind.'', Luna decided, as she and Artemis joined the Senshi on the railing and then climbed in her embrace.

''So, Minako..''

''Call me Mina.''

''Ok, Mina.'', Satoru tasted the nickname in his mouth. ''I have something for you before you go.'', he pointed out and disappeared back inside his apartment. He emerged a few minutes later with a small but useful device.

''A watch?'', the blonde queried, examining it in her gloved hand.

''It's a communicator. Kaito -Zoicite- had made a bunch of spare ones back then. I remember seeing them a few weeks back in my drawer but I didn't know what they were. It's a miracle I didn't throw them away.'', Satoru laughed. ''Feel free to call me at any time. Even if the problem you have doesn't involve the aliens.''

''Thank you.'', Minako uttered with a gentle smile, before putting on the watch and jumping from rooftop to rooftop towards her house. Satoru stayed there until his eyes could no longer see her form. He then stepped inside and slumped into his armchair with a long sigh.

''What's wrong?'', Apollo inquired.

''I hope I eased her worries even a little.'', Satoru murmured to himself, looking at his hands like they could give him the answers he sought.

''She will be fine. Artemis and Luna are with her.'', Apollo assured. ''You were a great help as well. And I believe that with time she will put all of those things behind her, like you have.''

''Those things cannot ever be set behind.'', Satoru declared, his voice a little harsher than usual. ''They are always there. The fear of it happening again is always there.''

''Satoru..''

''And at the end of the day, the only thing you can do is learn how to live with it.''


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2: Mazes and Senshi**

The world had awakened into a fairly nice weekend. The sun was silently observing everything from above, while a soft breeze was blowing from the east, caressing the greenish hair of the trees playfully and making them rustle together. At least that was the picture that most of the residences of planet Earth saw. For those who knew about the danger that was lurking in every corner that picture was completely different.

Aino Minako was standing across a crossroad waiting, Artemis and Luna hanging around beside her feet. She was wearing a tight pair of black jeans with matching ballerinas on her feet. Her turquoise long-sleeved blouse was partially covered by a leather brown jacket. Her trademark red ribbon was present as always, keeping her blonde bangs away from her line of vision. The blonde sighed and checked the watch she had been given yesterday for the hundredth time since she had arrived at the scheduled meeting spot. Earlier this morning when she was treating herself to a bowl of crispy cereal she had received a call on her communicator from Satoru. The brown-haired man had told her that he was going to meet with the others today and offered her a chance to meet them once again. Minako had accepted without a second thought, but now as she was waiting for Satoru and Apollo to arrive, she was starting to regret her rash decision. Artemis must have noticed the way she bit at her lower lip because he cleared his throat loudly motioning for her to bend down so they could talk undisturbed.

''Are you concerned about the meeting?'', he asked with worried eyes when she did so.

''A little bit.'', Minako admitted, averting her gaze.

''It must be a lot to take in.'', Luna commented, joining their conversation.

''It is.'', the blonde sighed. ''I guess that I am still in the process of realizing that a significant portion of my memories were a lie. But don't worry; I'll be fine. I just need some time to adjust myself to this new reality.''

''I'm sure the prince didn't mean to cause any harm.'', Artemis pronounced.

''Oh no, I am not blaming him. His use of the golden crystal was just and necessary.'', Minako quickly denied. ''On the contrary, I am very grateful. Who knows where I would have been if it wasn't for him and Seren- eh.. Usagi.''

''Are you worried about meeting Mercury and Jupiter again?'', Luna inquired.

''It's not really worry that I feel. It just seems a little strange to me, meeting them like this. You know, not like Sailor Venus, but just as Aino Minako. Not their leader, but just as another ordinary girl that just registered to study at their school. I still haven't gotten used to their names!'', Minako explained.

''What's with the overrated use of 'just'?'', Artemis admonished. ''Don't treat yourself like this. You are special and if you do not realize it there will be terrible consequences!''

''Of what kind?'', Minako smirked.

''I don't know about that, but I know the consequences of humans talking to cats in the middle of the road.'', a new voice hummed in an almost whisper and Apollo squeezed in-between Luna and Artemis with a scowl on his face. ''What do you guys think you are doing? This is one of the busiest streets in the entire city and you chose this place to have a chat.''

''It sure was risky, but nothing happened.'', Artemis muttered.

''What possibly could?'', Luna questioned with a roll of her eyes.

''You could end up being lab experiments, for instance.'', Satoru claimed, coming to stand behind them. Minako got up at the sound of his voice and turned around while dusting herself off. ''Are you ready to go?''

''Yes.'', Minako nodded, as the group started walking down the road.

''I hope I didn't cancel any plans you and your family had for today.'', Satoru said as they walked. ''My call was a little unexpected, wasn't it?''

''It was.'', Minako shrugged. ''But you didn't ruin anything. Me and my parents.. we don't really get along. My father is too absorbed with his work to spend time with me. He is even on the company that employs him today. On a weekend! As for my mother, she isn't occupied at the moment. Actually, she never was. One would have expected her to take care of her child, but she is out with her friends all the time doing who knows what. Grandma left her a rich lineage after she died and so she doesn't worry about money at all. I lost the account of how many butlers and maids we have in the house a long time ago.''

''Sorry to hear that.'', Satoru stated, embarrassed that he had brought such a topic into their conversation. The three felines didn't say anything because of the people walking around them, but that didn't mean that they didn't sympathize with her. Especially, for Luna and Artemis Minako's statement had made them understand why Minako's house had been quiet last night when they casually entered through the front door with her still transformed into her Sailor Senshi suit. The girl had known that no one would be there from the beginning. The workers of her house weren't allowed to live in the mansion and so the building was empty after a certain hour. Maybe it was like this every night. Maybe it had been like this since a long time ago.

''Don't be.'', Minako pronounced. ''I don't really care about it. You said yourself that I am not alone, didn't you?''

''And I meant every word.'', Satoru smiled. ''Well, here we are!'', he announced, motioning towards Motoki's workplace. ''This is an arcade, but a cafeteria as well. We normally hang out here. A friend of ours normally works here, but he must be on a break, so you won't be seeing him.'', he explained, as the group of two humans and three cats entered the store. The two humans sat comfortably on a table, while the cats chose another direction to take.

''It's a nice place.'', Minako commented, looking around. ''This is also where the center is established, right?''

''I see they told you about it.'', Satoru muttered. ''They haven't found anything yet, but they are going to..''

''All girls are crazy!'', a voice interrupted and Mamoru's form slumped down beside Satoru with a heavy sigh. Minako's blue eyes widened at the sight of the prince of Earth, but said prince made no indication of acknowledging her presence. ''I mean; I was just in my way here when all of sudden a red-haired girl started hitting on me! And to top it all that blonde-haired klutz made an appearance as well. And she actually started fighting with the other girl instead of me! What's next? Aliens invading our world?! I don't und-''

Mamoru stopped talking, when he noticed the blonde-haired girl sitting across from him for the first time, her blue eyes as wide as plates. He spared a sideways glance to Satoru who was holding his head on one hand and focusing solely on the table and felt himself turn red from embarrassment.

''Um.. what shall I get you?'', the voice of the waitress brought everyone out of the awkward situation they had fallen in.

''Coffee.. Black. Oh, and a chocolate parfait with extra whipped cream and chocolate chips, please.'', Mamoru cleared his throat, thankful for the distraction. From now on, he would see waitresses in a new light.

''I'll get a sandwich. No ham. Only cheese.'', Satoru requested from beside him, straightening up to glance at the waitress.

''A pink lemonade with peaches, please.'', Minako smiled kindly, taking her eyes of the flustered prince and stopping herself from asking how he could drink coffee and chocolate all mixed up.

"Sorry for the scene ", Mamoru apologized, after the waitress took her leave. "I'm Chiba Mamoru.", he introduced, offering her a hand and a smile.

"Don't worry about it.", the blonde smiled in return, shaking his hand. "I'm Aino Minako, but you can call me Mina.''

''Then please do call me Mamoru as well.", the black-haired man offered.

"She is a friend of mine from America.", Satoru partly lied. "She will be attending Makoto's school soon and I thought it would be nice to know a few people before her first day."

"I'm sure Makoto and Ami will be willing to help you out.", Mamoru assured.

"That's what Satoru told me yesterday.", Minako informed, as the waitress placed their respective orders in front of them and left with a small bow.

''Ah, there they are.'', Satoru announced, gesturing towards the door of the facility. Minako carefully followed his gaze and she just stared once again, just drinking in the sight of two of her sisters so happy and carefree, without any worries about the world. Jupiter-Makoto, she reminded herself- was wearing a pair of blue jeans that almost hid her green sneakers and a brown short-sleeved blouse, carefully placed underneath a green sports jacket. The blonde felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her, when she spotted the rose earrings hanging from her ears. Ami was following close behind her, dressed in a simple blue dress that hugged the tips of her knees and flowed around her as she moved. A thick book was settled in her arms and Minako felt like it was the best place it could choose to be. Satoru must have noticed her unease, because a hand came to rest on hers, causing her to turn her eyes away from the approaching girls. She turned towards Satoru who offered her an encouraging smile and she found herself smiling back sweetly. At least, until something banged on the table, causing everyone to jump. All eyes turned on an edgy Makoto, whose hand was responsible for the little earthquake their table had gone through.

''Good morning, everyone!'', Ami exclaimed with a bright smile, upon arriving in front of their table. Makoto's expression was a whole different story. Her green eyes were blazing as they focused on the wood that the table was made from. Minako released a gasp and withdrew her hand, when she realized what thoughts were racing through the brunette's mind. She had just seen an unknown girl holding hands with the one she liked. Satoru had told her that that was their relationship for now. Determined to not give a bad impression from the very first second, the blonde stood hurriedly on her feet and tried to clear everything out.

"Wait! Wait! This is a misunderstanding! We are not.."

"This petty thing doesn't have enough chocolate in it!", Makoto interrupted, having not even heard Minako's words.

"What do you mean?!", Mamoru complained, pointing towards his second order. "It is a chocolate parfait with EXTRA chocolate chips for crying out loud! I requested them you know you ungrateful being."

"The whipped cream should be made from chocolate too! It is a national law!", Makoto pouted. Satoru sighed. Ami shook her head disapprovingly. And Mina couldn't control herself. She released a choked laugh, gaining everyone's attention.

"Who are you?", Makoto asked, a well-groomed eyebrow raised.

"She is Aino Minako, the new student at our school.", Ami peeped in. She had been standing there silently, until a question she could answer with certainty have popped up.

"How do you know?", Satoru asked, after a bit of silence.

"She is in my class and since I am the class president, I was tasked with the responsibility of adding her name and other characteristics on the catalogue. It had a photo as well.", Ami explained. "My name is Mizuno Ami, nice to meet you."

"And I am Kino Makoto. Sorry for the scene, but my brother here burned an important amount of brain shells yesterday while reading an old dusty book written in who knows when. He even forgot his little sister's likes and dislikes.", Makoto pronounced cheekily. Mamoru huffed loudly and turned his eyes away, but made no comment.

"You two are siblings?!", Minako queried a little bit shocked. Luna and Artemis had filled her in on how everyone was going, but maybe they had neglected a thing or two by accident.

"Oh, no.", Mamoru denied. "We have just known each other for a long time, that is all."

"Yep, me and Mamoru go way back.", Makoto added with a wink.

"We can help you out at school if the need arises, but now we are kind of busy.", Ami remarked.

"Aren't you going to stay?", Satoru inquired.

"I don't remember you telling me anything about this.", Mamoru exclaimed curiously, turning towards Makoto.

"Consider it as punishment for your deadly sin.", Makoto stated with a dramatic shake of her head.

''Me and Makoto actually decided on it on our way here.", Ami explained.

"There was a guy handing out some fliers in the shopping district about an interview. ", Makoto continued. "So, we will try it out. Hey, do you want to come along?", she asked, pointing a finger towards Minako.

"Me? Well, why not? I'd love too.", Minako answered, willing to spend more time with the two of them. Granted, their mission was important, but this was of equal significance as well.

"Hey, is this interview by any chance about a role for an upcoming movie?", Mamoru queried, after taking another sip from his coffee.

"Yes, how did you know?", Ami asked.

"The director is actually one of my neighbors. He lives in my apartment complex, in the second floor I think.", Mamoru replied. "Anyway, the point is that he was a little short on workers so he asked for help. I will be assisting him with the casting today."

"Great, then we can all go together.", Makoto declared, grabbing Mamoru's arm and dragging him on his feet.

"Well, you guys have fun.", Satoru announced. "I have some urgent business to attend to anyway.", he informed, casting a quick glance at Minako.

"Sure, we will see you later.", Minako agreed, immediately understanding the silent message that had been passed down to her.

Satoru nodded with a small smile and the group of four exited the arcade, engrossed in a casual conversation that quickly focused on Minako. Satoru thought that it would be good for her to talk about herself. It sure had helped him out. That was actually part of the reason he hadn't gone with them to protect his liege if they need arose. Minako was going to express herself more freely if she was surrounded by people who didn't know what she had done. That came from personal experience as well. Also, since she was with Mamoru, he had nothing to fear. And in case something happened.. Well, he was just a teleportation away, wasn't he?

* * *

Natsumi slammed the door of hers and her companion's apartment behind her angrily as she entered it. She had hated that blondie Tsukino Usagi from the moment her partner had played a song for her, but now she brutally despised her. She had just had a most certainly fateful encounter with the black-haired man from the other day, when she had interfered. She had just literally come out of nowhere and insisted to know what was going on; no she had actually demanded it.

Long story short, her dream guy had run away. He must have been scared off because of her presence. At least, she had learned some valuable information from the blonde's rumblings. Like his name, for example. Chiba Mamoru. She had told him hers too. Hopefully, he had heard it before he left. Natsumi passed through the ordinary apartment she and her 'brother' had magically furnished yesterday and teleported to the room that they had placed their precious Tree, their little fountain of life that held inside it all the energy that they needed to survive.

''Oh, what a waste of my precious energy that was.'', Natsumi thought out loud, remembering her fight with Usagi. She jumped up in the air and in a matter of seconds An landed on the vein Eiru was standing on. ''Eiru, can I have some energy?''

''The energy in the Tree is almost gone.'', Eiru professed. He had been with it for hours on end and he had seen its leaves turning black, falling and finally dissipating into dust.

''Are you serious!?'', An gasped in disbelief, her playful demeanor changing immediately.

''Yes.'', Eiru sighed. ''It is as we thought. We have to steal the life energy from the humans of this planet in order to survive.''

''And a lot of it.'', An added, taking into account the Tree's terrible condition.

''Come, An.'', Eiru urged, presenting the pink-haired alien with the remaining cardians as he had done the day before. ''Please, predict the best cardian for this operation.

"Right away.", An nodded and picked a card from Eiru's hand in the same fashion as yesterday. She threw the card into the air and it glowed as the beast sealed inside it was finally released from slumber. A female minotauron with reddish hair and large horns immerged from the card, her tail flicking around impatiently as she waited for her orders.

''Any ideas of our target, An?'', Eiru queried, glancing at his partner expectantly.

''Well, I do have something in mind.'', An hummed thoughtfully.

''I'm listening.'', Eiru urged.

''I heard about a movie interview while I was outside.'', An explained further. ''Many girls are bound to gather there for the role casting.''

''It sounds good to me.'', Eiru agreed. ''We have to take a lot of energy from them in order to restore the Tree's power.''

''Then we should pay the director's team a visit, before we begin with our plan.'', An smirked.

''You are right.'', Eiru nodded in consent. ''My cardian, you know what to do!'', he pronounced, turning towards the still awaiting Minotauron. Said cardian bowed her head slightly before disappearing out of the apartment and into the city below. The two aliens did the same and reappeared shortly after inside the studio where a part of the director's team was currently busy working in preparation for the incoming interviews.

"I sure hope the director finds the person he is looking for to play the part of the protagonist's sister.", one of the workers pronounced while doing a little checkup on a set of microphones. He had to make sure that the sequence was just right in order for the director to judge the voices correctly.

"I heard that he is a kind man, but very picky about his choices.", his friend and coworker added.

"Hey, you two aren't supposed to be in here! The interview hasn't started yet! How did you enter this building in the first place?!", a voice interrupted their conversation. The two men turned towards its source to see one of their comrades yelling at a pair of unknown people that looked like they were cosplaying for an anime.

"Really?", the blue-haired boy inquired with a smirk.

"Oh my, I'm sorry.", the pink-haired girl apologized with a bat of her thick eyelashes. "We weren't aware.", she explained kindly. The last thing the three men saw before a terrible pain erupted in their bodies and they passed out was a pair of glowing eyes invading their very soul.

''Stealing their energy would be a waste of time.'', Eiru laughed, when all the humans inside the room lost consciousness.

''Why feed with second rates, when we can taste the gourmet dish. The younger the victim, the more energy we receive. And with better quality, too.'', An pronounced.

''Yes, our targets will be here any moment now.'', Eiru agreed.

''Just let those men be. We will use them for now.'', An advised.

''Yes.'', Eiru nodded thoughtfully in agreement. ''And I have the perfect plan for them to take part in.''

* * *

Usagi entered her house and ran up to her room without delay. She threw her door open and then slammed it loudly behind her. She was glad that no one was home as she slowly slid to the ground. Her parents must have gone out to do some shopping and she vaguely remembered her brother mentioning that he was going to go to a friend's house to play video games all day long.

With a pitiful squeak she stood on her feet and dropped her form on her soft bed. She was confused. Confused about herself. And irritated. And angry. And maybe a little sad for some unknown reason. She just couldn't understand why she had acted that way. That guy-Chiba Mamoru- had always irritated her, but when she had seen him with her classmate hooked into his arm, a newfound feeling had found its way to her heart, body and mind. And she hated it. She hated it so much that she couldn't even name it. Not even in her mind's eye.

But her mother always told her that it was very important for one to admit their feelings first to themselves and then to others. And eventually she followed her mother's piece of advice. The feeling inside her was carefully catalogued into her mind and acquired the name of 'Jealousy'. There she had admitted it. She had been jealous and she still was. And it was so frustrating because that feeling only proved that she had fallen for the guy that teased her all the time like it was his hobby or something. She didn't even know how this has happened to her. Chiba Mamoru was cheeky and always had something to say in order to infuriate her. But she was also kind of nice and gentle and smart and handsome and..

And Usagi smashed herself on the forehead for thinking like this. There was no way that she was going to continue with this nonsense. Sighing, she propped herself up and grabbed her pink purse from her desk. She searched through many papers and candies until she found what she was looking for. The advertising flyer she had been given while at the shopping district was still in there. She had taken it only as an act of politeness and had felt bad to throw it away immediately. Thus, it had ended up here in her house. She had read it while walking and hadn't thought much of it. However, now things had changed. She would welcome a distraction from those mischievous blue eyes that had invaded her mind. Any distraction would suffice. And an interview for a movie role was more than enough.

Checking out the exact address, she stacked the flyer inside her purse and discarded it on top of your bed. She only remained inside her bedroom for a little longer in order to refresh her hair and then she ran out of her house as fast as she could. Hopefully, if she ran fast enough, she wouldn't meet him once again. And truly her expectation came to life. She didn't bump into him or anyone else for that matter in her whole way to her destination. Although, she wasn't sure how she felt about that fact. It was only when she was standing in front of the building that she spotted a more than welcome familiar face.

''Hey, Naru!'', Usagi shouted, racing up the small staircase that led to the entrance of the building.

''Usagi, what are you doing here? Don't tell me you are trying for the role too?'', Naru queried in confusion.

''Sure I am.'', Usagi nodded in response, all her previous thoughts forgotten for the time being. ''What about you?''

''I thought it would be a good experience.'', Naru smiled. ''I guess that makes us rivals then, doesn't it?''

''Eh...! You won't hate me if they pick me for the role, will you?'', Usagi wailed, ready to let her tears fall.

''Don't be stupid, Usagi!'', Naru huffed. ''You are my best friend. I would never hate you. And for something so petty, too.''

''Right! Then let's go inside together.'', Usagi proposed and the two girls entered the studio. Naru had studied the leaflet she had been given very well and so they found their way through the maze-like corridors pretty easily.

''There it is.'', Naru pointed out and entered the audition room with Usagi following close behind her. When they took their seats, Usagi noted that there were four other girls inside the room. Two of them she recognized instantly. It was the genius girl of her school, Mizuno Ami, and the 'Hercules' girl, Kino Makoto. They were chatting casually with another girl with long blonde hair styled by a single red ribbon. Said girl turned towards her, as if she had sensed that she was being watched, and her blue eyes widened. Usagi blinked confusedly at all the emotion that she saw swimming in those orbs and took her gaze away when the situation got too awkward for her to handle. It took her some time to recall where she had seen the fourth competitor, but she eventually remembered the mean black-haired girl that she had bumped into months ago on her way to school. Hating to be reminded of that situation and because it also brought him on her thoughts, she turned away and lost herself in a light conversation with her best friend, while waiting for the audition to start.

''Thank you for waiting. The processions will begin now.'', a man announced as he entered the room from another door in front of them and pushed the large blue curtain that was hanging behind him open. All the girls gasped in awe when their eyes fell on the beautiful scenery that looked like it had come out of a Greek myth. It was filled with ancient ruins that made a perfect contrast with the marvelous starry sky above.

''What a great stage set!''. Naru voiced what they were all thinking, taking in every single detail of the set.

''Do you like this little world of mine?'', a male voice enquired and all eyes fell on a man and woman standing atop of a pillar on the far end of the scene. Minako jumped from her feet when she realized who and what they were. Unable to transform with others in the room, she pressed the emergency button on her watch and hoped that Satoru would arrive soon enough. The situation was difficult. Her princess and all of her sisters were there, but she was the only one who could fight back or even knew that there was danger nearby at this point. For the first time in forever, Minako wished that she and her sisters would have been apart rather than together.

''I am sorry, but I think that we should take this audition one by one and also in private in order for each one of us to maintain her originality. I will go first. Please, retreat outside until I'm finished.'', Minako suggested in an effort to drive the defenseless away so she could transform herself.

''Hm, it does make sense.'', Ami pointed out and all the others seemed to agree with her as they started heading towards the door.

''Not so fast!'', Eiru yelled angrily and brought his flute to his lips. His signature haunting melody echoed throughout the studio as the Minotauron was again summoned by her masters.

''What's that monster?'', Makoto inquired, as Minako cursed her unluckiness.

''I thought the audition was for a family drama not a fantasy film.", Rei stated, her eyes glued on the monster. She started when she suddenly disappeared from her line of vision and reappeared almost afterwards behind them, effectively blocking their way to the exit.

''This.. this is a real monster.'', Usagi stuttered fearfully.

''Now, Minotauron, I order you to steal all the energy from..'', Eiru stopped midsentence, when he noticed the classmate he so adored among the victims.

''Eiru, what's wrong? Why did you stop?'', An questioned from behind him.

''It's nothing.'', Eiru assured her. ''Minotauron, gather their energy!'', he ordered, his mind conjuring up a plan on how to get Usagi out of this mess. Surely, they would be fine with one less energy vessel.

"Everyone run!'', Minako yelled and everybody followed her lead without questions or complaints. Usagi clutched Naru's hand tightly, pulling her along as she ran directly behind the girl with the ribbon. She hadn't met her before, but right now she felt like being near her was the safest place in the world. Ami and Makoto followed the newest addition to their group of friends eagerly, but they both knew that the fact that there was no other option wasn't the only reason they had done so. And Rei.. Rei was confused. The moment that girl had called out that order, like someone had given her the right to do so, her body had moved on its own. And to top it all she felt something strong when she was around these girls. Something similar to what she felt when Kagari passed in front of her Shrine, but also slightly different. Maybe a little meditation could give her some answers. If she survived the situation she had fallen onto that is.

''Good. Young women's screams are almost as pleasant as the sound of your flute.'', An chuckled, watching the action below with amusement. Eiru merely nodded at her statement, his eyes focused on one particular blonde-haired girl. ''But we have had enough of this playing around. Let's hurry up and steal their energy."

''Don't be ridiculous, An.'', Eiru pronounced, trying to buy more time for himself to think. ''How can I not take this opportunity to enjoy the artful music? You said yourself that it is pleasant, didn't you?''

''Oh, I don't have the patience for this. I will go gather energy somewhere else, then.", An muttered, crossing her arms and looking away, before disappearing.

Eiru sighed at her childish actions, conflicted on what to do. Go after her or stay behind? The screams of the girls brought his attention back to the cardian. Now she was in the process of draining the energy of one of the girls. Usagi was crying at the sight, causing Eiru to take another look at the current victim. He eventually managed to recall that she was at his school, too. Two of the other girls were attending it as well. It didn't matter though. He wanted to get Usagi out of the mess, not her friends.

The cardian finished feeding with Naru's energy and tossed her unconscious form to the side. She turned to look at the rest of her victims only for something to collide with her face and entangle itself to her horns. Looking up, she saw that a red purse was stuck in-between them and she struggled to get it off.

"Now is our change. Let's go!", Rei urged, turning towards her companions.

''But what about Naru?'', Usagi half-asked, half-cried.

 **"** We will come back and get her later. We are toast, if we don't leave now.", Ami urged, trying to catch up with her breath.

"No, I am not going anywhere without my friend.", Usagi declared stubbornly and before anyone could react she sprinted towards the unconscious form of Naru. She bent down next to her and tried to shake her awake, but to no avail. Minako made to interfere, but Makoto beat her to it. The brunette placed a comforting hand on Usagi's shoulder before lifting Naru of the floor and proceeded to carry her on her back.

"Thank you.", Usagi smiled a tearful smile and Makoto couldn't help but smile back as she and the other girls ran out of the room with Ami as their guide as she was the only one who remembered how to reach the exit of the building.

Back in the room, Eiru almost sighed in relief. The turn the situation had gotten was really in his favor. For one Usagi was out of danger and secondly An wasn't there to question his orders. With a flick of his wrist Rei's purse disappeared from the cardian's head and the servant turned towards the master.

"Listen, carefully.", Eiru demanded. "For I have new plans for you to accomplice."

* * *

The screams of the monster echoed through the corridors as the group of girls ran as fast as their feet could carry them. Minako's mind was racing at the speed of light with a small but significant portion of her brain cursing her former enemy/ present friend for his unreasonable lateness. Her eyes flickered to her companions, taking note of their situation. Makoto was a good athlete; Minako could tell. Even though she was carrying someone on her back, she kept going on a steady sprint. But Minako knew her Senshi well. She had supervised their training once upon a time long past. And the fact that Makoto was fidgeting with her fingers every five seconds was telling her that in her current state the Senshi of Thunder was reaching her limits. Taking that into consideration, she moved to the black-haired teenager running beside her. She didn't show how surprised she was when their eyes met. Future sight dies hard, she thought and turned away to focus on their genius guide. Blue eyes that had memorized every inch of the studio from before were focused only and only ahead. No indication of tiredness was evident. But then again Minako knew her Senshi and she most certainly knew her Princess. She was tired and it showed, but her clear blue eyes were focused on her fallen friend filled with a mix of worry, fear and dread. The energythristy monster screamed once again. Footsteps sounded from somewhere nearby. The danger wasn't too far away. And Minako decided that running wasn't an option anymore.

"I will distract it! You go on!", she shouted and turned towards the opposite direction, forcing herself to ignore the pleas for her to come back.

''Foolish girl! What is thinking?'', Rei snapped, clutching her fingers into fists.

''I don't know her very well, but I have the strange feeling that she knows what she is doing.'', Makoto exclaimed. ''So, Ami get us out of here. We can call for help once we are outside.''

''Right! Follow me everyone!'', Ami instructed, resuming her running down the long corridor. Usagi made to follow her and the others just when some whispers coming from somewhere nearby stopped her in her tracks. Thinking that maybe there were other people inside the building, unaware of the danger, she followed them with the intention of getting them out safely with her. Surely, they would know where the exit was located. However, nothing could have prepared her for what she witnessed when she reached the source of the voices.

''No, I refuse to let you pass!''

''You don't make any sense. I heard screaming, so get out of the way already. Someone might be in trouble.''

''No! It's dangerous! There is a monster on the loose.''

''What?! Look my sister and her friends are somewhere in there, so step out of the way right now!'', Mamoru snapped angrily, his expressive eyes digging holes into those of Natsumi's. And yet the teenage girl didn't back down and kept blocking his way as best as she could. She had taken a human form in order to do a little energy hunting and she most certainly hadn't anticipated meeting him here. And if she allowed him passage, he was going to end up being in danger.

''What are you doing here?'', Usagi asked and covered her mouth when she realized that she had spoken. She had been staring into his sparkling eyes, when her tongue had developed a will of her own.

''Usagi!'', he exclaimed, locking their eyes. ''Have you seen..?''

''All the candidates for the audition must be safely outside by now.'', Usagi informed, having put two and two together after hearing the argument between him and Natsumi. ''Except of..''

''Except from whom?'', Mamoru queried, the small relief he had felt fading away instantly.

''A blonde-haired girl with a ribbon.'', Usagi answered.

''Minako..'', Mamoru whispered thoughtfully. ''Okay, you two get outside, I will get her and meet you there.'', he announced, taking a step back only to be stopped by both Natsumi and Usagi this time around.

''No, you can't do that!''

''Like I said before, it's too dangerous!''

''You haven't seen that monster!''

''I saw the girl before I bumped into you. I know exactly where she is right now and I assure you that she is safe. She is located near the back exit, so we will get out from there.'', Natsumi lied. She would do anything to keep him out of danger, even if it meant leaving him alone with another girl for a little while. ''I'll go alone, because we will attract too much attention otherwise.'', she announced before running away. Making sure she wasn't being followed, she transformed back into her original form and started flying around the place. She would find that girl alright. And when she did, she was going to make her pay. Pay for forcing her to leave her Mamoru with that blonde klutz!

* * *

Sailor Venus slammed against a wall, knocking down the colorful pictures that were decorating it as she fell to the floor of the studio's stage room. She had initially found the monster in a corridor but their fighting had ended up leading them inside the vast stage room. She could spot the male alien, Eiru, floating near the entrance with a smirk that said that he was clearly enjoying the show. Well, at least he hadn't found out her true identity. There was a flash of light and a cross-armed An came to hover beside him, annoyance written all over her face as she observed the events with a bored expression. She hadn't been able to find what she was looking for. The cardian charged again with her horns and Sailor Venus had barely enough time to jump out of the way and land as gracefully as she could in front of the stage. Another assault and Minako found herself lying flat on her back on top of the carpeted stage. The Minotauros kept charging oblivious to the fact that her target wasn't where it was supposed to be any more. Her horns hit the base of the stage forcefully, causing a tremble to deliver itself across the whole studio. The lights hanging above the stage swang to a silent music and fell. And as if lightning had struck, fire erupted from the ground.

Usagi screamed as the ground shook beneath her feet, barely registering Mamoru throwing himself against her as they both fell to the floor of the studio.

Makoto placed a still unconscious Naru down, as she, Ami and Rei stared wide-eyed at the burning building they had just exited from.

A familiar fire truck passed through the busy streets of Tokyo and Kagari followed it as fast as he could. In his haste, he never noticed the blonde-haired man running behind him for entirely different reasons.

Satoru gasped as he and the three felines came to an abrupt halt in front of the studio, unsure of what he was supposed to be more shocked about.

The explosion took a pair of grey-silver eyes away from their master's daily training. Yukio placed a hand upon his suddenly racing heart. Something was wrong. Something was telling him to move. _Always follow your heart,_ his uncle used to say and actually still said. Yukio had never paid any mind to that advice. But now as a pain started effulging his chest, he decided it was due time that he started to do so.

''Why am I always the one burdened with their legacy?'', the priest of the Hikawa Shrine sighed, his eyes tired from lack of sleep.

No answer was given by the sacred flames. No answer was exchanged among the stars. For even the ones who know a lot, cannot possess the knowledge of everything...


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Next week I will be going on vacation, so internet connection is far from guaranteed. Chances are I won't be able to add new chapters for at least a month. I'm really sorry about this, but I promise that next time I update it will be more than one chapter. I will try to publish another one before I leave, but no guarantees there either.**

 **Many thanks to those who read my story and took the time to review.**

 **R &R**

 **Chapter 3: Frozen desires**

The conflagration was spreading. And it was doing it fast. Soon the whole building was going to be consumed in the threatening flames and crumble helplessly to the ground. Tomorrow only mere pieces of black wood would be shown on TV, while a reporter was going to mumble about it with a guest. A tragedy. A pity. A disaster. They would name it with those words and many more, but only few people would actually truly care. Satoru snaped out of his shock and gathered his three companions in his arms before turning the other way and hiding behind the studio's outer wall, as sirens sang in the distance.

''What are you doing?! Someone might still be in there, including the creature we detected earlier!", Artemis frowned, squirming in Satoru's hold and causing the brown-haired man to release him and the others.

''Be quiet!'', Satoru answered back, as he spied on the girls while eavesdropping on their conversation.

''What are we going to do?'', Ami panicked. ''Minako and Mamoru are still in there.''

''And I don't see that other girl either.'', Rei disclosed.

''Alright, I am going inside!'', Makoto declared with determination, bolting towards the staircase. She hadn't even reached the fist step when Rei blocked her way. ''What are you doing?!''

''What are **you** doing?!'', Rei snapped back with equal force. ''Going in there right now is suicide.''

''There are people in there!'', Makoto argued. ''Step aside and I will..''

''Will do what exactly?! Run around those corridors until you pass out from the smoke or get ambushed by that monster?!'', Rei questioned angrily, Makoto taking a step back at the fire in her violet eyes.

''I..''

''I know that you feel like helping.'', Rei sighed, placing her hands on the taller girl's shoulders. ''Trust me, I do too. But it is best for us to wait for the firefighters to arrive. Please.''

''I.. understand.'', Makoto pronounced, tightening her fists and staring at the ground defeated. The girl in front of her was right. So, so right. She was useless as she was right now. If only she had.. something to help her fight. But what was that 'something' that she so desperately felt she needed?

''I am going in.'', Satoru declared and transformed, still hidden behind the wall. He gave individual looks to the three felines before starting accessing his powers. ''Do what you must.'', he ordered, before teleporting inside the building.

''Does he mean..?'', Apollo trailed off.

''Yes.'', Artemis affirmed. ''Luna! Are you up to this?''

''Yes, I'll do it.'', the black feline decided and ventured out of their hiding spot. Quietly she approached the three girls and cleared her throat as loud as a cat could. Immediately Ami, Rei and Makoto turned their attention on her, confusion written clearly on their faces.

''Go away, kitty. It's dangerous here.'', Ami tried to shoo her away.

''I know it is.'', Luna rolled her eyes. ''That's why is time for you to join the game.''

''Ah, the cat talked!'', Rei shouted with a start, but before she could say anything more, Luna's crescent mark glowed brightly, matching the fire's resolve. Three lines of yellow light were extracted from its center, heading towards the three conscious girls. Symbols appeared on their respective foreheads and their powers reawakened. And with them, so did their memories. They felt like falling into an endless dark abyss stretching far below and high above them. They couldn't move or speak, but just watch their surroundings change again and again.

Ami wasn't scared neither extremely startled. She had lived through this before. Thus, she allowed the line of her memories to flow through her mind, through her body, through her soul. Times spent on the Moon were replaced by sweet music flowing through the halls of a palace. White turned into crimson as the battle on the Moon took place until gold light consumed everything with its brilliance. Pictures of a false awakening passed before her mind's eye until the water clenched her spirit from the evil. And the last thing she remembered was her princess crying over her dying form.

Rei was feeling cold. Cold and numb and helpless. She wanted to deny every little piece of information that entered her mind and yet she couldn't. A teacher in her school had said once that sometimes the truth is painful. But only now did the dark-haired girl realized how right that teacher had been. Sailor Mars was laughing with her sisters inside Serenity's bed-chamber. Luna was smiling kindly in the background. She was arguing with short blonde hair and fiery eyes. She was fighting against them on the white Moon, but on the blue Earth too. But she was happy. Because in the end they had ended her torture by killing her.

There were tears spilling relentlessly from Makoto's green eyes. She wanted to scream so much. She wanted everyone to hear her pain, her sorrow, her angst. She, the so called Senshi of Strength, had fallen for the Dark Kingdom's antics. Venus had said that she had killed him, but she hadn't cared. And now he was smiling at her every day. Did he know? That Mamoru was Endymion. That Usagi was Serenity. Did Kaito and Minako know? Were they keeping her away all this time? Did they hate her for her weakness? They would be right if they did. But that wouldn't change the fact that she was going to protect them all, even if they wanted it or not.

Luna's crescent moon mark returned to normal and she staggered back slightly from the pressure of performing her spell at more than one person at the exact same time. The two male felines were by her side in a single heartbeat and helped balance her movements before she could fall. Meanwhile, the three newly awakened Sailor Senshi were already on the move. They were trained warriors after all. And they knew that there was a time for everything.

''Minako and Satoru are too far inside the building for our comfort.'', Ami informed, scanning the building with her computer.

''Are there any others in?'', Rei queried.

''No, all the civilians must have fled. Including, Usagi and Mamoru. I can't trace their magical energy inside.'', Ami replied. ''But I receive a dark energy signal from Minako's and Satoru's spot.''

''They are our newest enemies.'', Apollo cut in. ''They are some aliens from space that gather energy from humans for some still unknown to us purposes.''

''So, that's what happened to Naru.'', Makoto hummed.

''Yes, but she will be fine.'', Artemis professed. ''I can tell that not all of her energy has been taken.''

''Girls, you must teleport inside as soon as possible.'', Luna urged. ''They will need your help with the monster!''

''Yes, let's go!'', Makoto agreed, as the three girls joined hands and closed their eyes in concentration. Soon enough blue, red and green light filled the area and when it dissipated, the girls were gone. The sirens from before grew louder and the three felines perked up from the loud noise.

''Let's go back to the arcade.'', Apollo proposed. ''We can monitor things from there.''

''There is no point in waiting out here, anyway.'', Luna agreed, as they ran out of the studio and into the streets. And as a result, when the firefighters arrived the only thing they found except for the blazing fire was a young girl lying unconscious on the studio's stairs.

* * *

 _The building was abandoned. It used to be a thriving advertising agency, but now it was a forgotten ruin. There were seventeen dusty floors with broken windows and upturned office chairs. And all of them had been set ablaze. A large explosion took place on the ground floor and the whole building shook violently. There was an old, tatterdemalion_ _flag at the top of the building. It made a dive and fell to the ground, the white rusty flag pole breaking into pieces upon impact with the hard concrete below._

 _The arsonist laughed. Her dark laughter echoed throughout all of the seventeen floors of the forgotten property. She was hovering in midair, eyes blazing more than the fire could ever dream to. She was a predator searching for her prey inside a burning, dying forest. A small movement on her left and she charged. Satoru's body crashed through a window and he tumbled down a staircase before stopping outside the burning buildin_ _g, lying helpless on his back. Sailor Venus giggled in delight as she pulled back her chain. She w_ _a_ _lked slowly and gracefully, the echoing of her steps torturing her victim. Satoru tried to stand, but it was to no avail._

 _Looking up he was met with a pair of blue eyes, that he had once viewed as a friend. They resembled blazing blue flames now and Satoru didn't bother with talking. It seemed frivolous right now. He had tried time and time again to make her remember, to make her understand what was happening but it had been no use. And it still was. He also doubted that he could talk right now with all that smoke he had just breathed. He surely hadn't expected to end up in that kind of situation when he had a surprise encounter with the blonde warrior. It must have been planned, though. She must have guided him here through their fighting, for the moment he had stepped inside the abandoned company, everything had burst into flames. Sailor Venus looked down coldly as a dagger appeared in her hand._

 _''Farewell, Knight of the North.''_

''Minako?! Minako! Mina, wake up! Come on!''

Mina.. Minako.. That was her name, was it not? Her present one at least. Someone was calling her. It sounded distant. And distressed and alarmed and urgent. And the voice was somewhat familiar. It was a deep male one. But hadn't she killed its owner back when..

A raging pain on her side and Minako jolted away, her eyes snapping open and her breaths uneven. She sat up with a quick movement that she immediately regretted when she felt every inch of her body aching because of it. A scan around the place told her that she still was in the studio with the difference that everything was set on fire.

''Took you long enough.. to wake.. up.'', a voice stuttered from beside her. This time Minako turned more carefully around and faced the speaker. Satoru was lying a few strides away from her, every inch of skin that was bare full of bruises and burns.

''Satoru! What happened?!'', Minako screamed, half-walking, half-limping towards him. She sat herself down beside him and moved him to a more comfortable position with his upper body supported by a wall.

''That thing..", Satoru started, but began coughing wildly mid-sentence.

"I understand.", Minako nodded, trying to spot the cardian among the smoke and fire. But she was no where to be seen. And neither were An and Eiru.

"Luna is going to awaken the girls.", Satoru informed in-between breaths.

"I thought we had agreed to not do this.'', Minako unwillingly spat out.

"The prince and princess are.."

Another nasty coughing fit erupted throughout Satoru's body and the brown-haired man clutched his chest tightly in pain. He barely registered Minako's voice pleading with him to stay awake before he lost consciousness. Minako caught him before he could injure himself and placed him carefully on the ground. She tried to keep a level head and find a way to get him out, but she started panicking when her own transformation gave way to her ordinary clothes. She had been in a similar situation before, but back then he had stood up and fought and had managed to escape.

But now the situation was entirely different. He wasn't transformed and thus his stamina had dropped. And so had hers. A growl sounded from behind her and Minako turned sharply around. The cardian was charging straight towards them, undisturbed by the flames that surrounded them. Minako couldn't move. The cardian passed through the flames, like they were nothing, her horns glittering in the light of the fire. Her steps never faltered as she charged forward. Minako closed her eyes in anticipation of the incoming pain and covered her partner as best as she could, willing to get more injured than him.

And then thunder struck, causing the cardian to shriek in pain. The uncontrollable fire disappeared, leaving only thick steam behind, as a swirling mist covered everything. The cardian stood from her fallen position and tried to find her new opponent. A silhouette appeared in her vision, but before she could strike fire and thunder struck her from behind and she knew no more. The mist dissipated and Minako looked up, already knowing what she was going to see. But she hadn't expected everything around her to be so blurry and confusing. She barely registered the fact that three figures were running towards her, but they didn't manage to reach her before she collapsed, her blue eyes fluttering closed.

* * *

The firefighting team finally reached its destination. The studio was still burning, but the flames had stopped spreading and had also actually completely vanished from a particular room of the vast building. Of course, the firefighters had no way of knowing that. The first person that hopped off the fire truck, rushed immediately to a young girl's side and ordered her subordinates to call for an ambulance. One of them nodded in response, understanding the situation, while the others started shooting water at the fire, hoping that the flames would be tamed fast so they could search for trapped or injured citizens inside the building. The chief of the fire unit pulled off from his team as the ambulance arrived and helped the paramedics lift the unconscious girl on the stretcher. He was satisfied when he saw that three more ambulances had arrived just in case.

"Dad!", a voice shouted and Yamamoto Ryoko turned around to see his only son running towards him, looking like he had run in a marathon.

"Kagari?! Were you inside?", he asked, his paternal instincts taking over, as he gripped the younger man by the shoulders in obvious worry.

"No, I just saw the fire truck on my way home and rushed over to see if you are okay.", Kagari explained reassuringly.

"That's a relief.", his father smiled, releasing him. "But you should go. I have work to do and it's dangerous here."

"But, dad.."

"No complaints, mister.", his father interrupted with a look that spoke of no negotiations."Go home and wait for me. Mum is still in that international cooking contest in America, so I will try to come early.", he announced, before running to help with the fire. Kagari sighed as he watched him go and put his hands inside his pockets. His father was always acting overprotective like that. He couldn't really blame him, but couldn't justify him either.

It was only when he turned to leave the area that he sensed it. He stopped in his tracks, feeling sweat gathering on his forehead. Turning sharply around, he was met with the flames that were chewing on the front of the building. A black figure appeared in them and Kagari had to rub his eyes to make sure that it was real. And it really was. Kagari watched as a black-haired man emerged from the studio, the flames seemingly parting in his wake. He was completely covered in burns and bruises, but his blue eyes were even more rugged than the fire. An unconscious girl was being carried in his arms, her long pigtails almost reaching the grey concrete below. The man stopped at the top of the stairs, a safe distance away from danger, and Kagari could do nothing but stare. He knew that it was stupid, that he should move and help the two newcomers, but he just stood frozen in an unexplainable shock. He only shook himself out of it when an unknown, but nevertheless familiar name travelled in the air.

"Mamoru!", a panicked voice shouted from somewhere behind him. Its owner bumped slightly into Kagari as he ran towards the pair. The blonde-haired man simply watched, still unmoving, the scene playing in front of him. The black-haired man- Mamoru he had gathered- fell unwillingly on his knees, the girl's hair finally touching the stairs. The long-haired guy that had bumped into him, caught the pair clumsily before they could get injured by a nasty fall over the long staircase. "You! What do you think you are doing just standing there, idiot?! Go call the doctors, NOW!"

Kagari ran towards the exit without a second thought. His body longed for movement, his mind ached with the need for action, his breaths were burning his lungs. Green eyes glared at him with anger in every step he took. In a matter of moments, the duo was on an ambulance along with the green eyed man and then off to the hospital.

Kagari put aside his father's words and stayed there until the fire had been dealt with. He was there when his dad and a few other firefighters came out of the now safe building with the people that had been trapped inside. Two of them had been injured and the other three had gone with them. He actually knew one of the unharmed ones. She was Yuuko's friend or maybe just a simple acquaintance. He had never seen her hanging around other people and she always stood cold and emotionless. But when she had exited the building, her violet eyes had been full of emotion as they stared at his own. He had raised an eyebrow at that and her face had immediately dropped. All in all, he was receiving a great deal of unexpected looks today.

And another one came when he turned to leave the place. Shirai Yukio was standing still as a statue on the pavement, examining the building with his silvery eyes. Abnormal. That was the first word that came to Kagari's mind when he saw his eyes. Shirai Yukio was one of his classmates at the university. Sure, they didn't interact much, but Kagari had thought that he wasn't the expressive type. And yet here he was looking at the previously flaming building with something between annoyance and confusion. He didn't stay there for long though. One moment he was still and the other he was moving down the road, his pace quick but steady.

Kagari shrugged it off immediately and started heading towards his house at his own slow pace. He had to do it sooner or later anyway. And that moment was the best one, since the sirens were already giving a recital. The police would be in the studio soon and Kagari didn't want to involve himself in their investigation process. It wasn't as if he knew something important about the situation and was withdrawing significant information from the authorities. It was probably just an everyday accident anyway. It was a freaking studio. There were bound to be a lot of electronic devices in there. Accidents happen all the time, don't they? Kagari came up with many scenarios that could accidentally have resulted in a fire, but no matter what he did the sickening feeling in his stomach never left. He couldn't help but feel that maybe the case could be different this one time.

* * *

 _Mamoru woke up. There was smoke and fire everywhere, the likes of which he had no idea how they had made their way into the studio. He could barely see the exit somewhere in front of him. He could run and make it there safely if he wasn't for his unconscious companion._ _He couldn't just leave her there and ran away. Standing up, he picked her up bridal style and walked towards the exit. The smoke was drowning him and he struggled to maintain his senses. His breaths were raged when he somehow managed to exit the flaming studio. He barely registered someone staring at him, before he lost consciousness._

It hadn't taken long for the urge of smacking his head on the nearest wall to be developed in Kaito's mind. The blonde-haired man had been waiting for hours in the waiting room of the hospital. The moon had risen and had already withdrew under the horizon and he still had received no news. Well, at least he hadn't been alone. He still wasn't sure if that had been a good thing though. For a while ago, he had been surrounded by three teenage girls that had looked as pale as dead. It had been logical that Makoto and Ami would have been worried about the situation, but he still wasn't sure why that Hino Rei person had still stuck around after her precautionary examinations had finished. Kaito hadn't enquired about it. It hadn't been and it still wasn't his business anyway. Besides, he had more important things to worry about at the time. Like that some of his friends had been hospitalized and comatose or the strange looks Ami had been giving him since they had met at the hospital. He had caught her staring at him many times, but tended to cast her gaze away every time their eyes met, as if she was doing something wrong.

Now, Kaito was patiently waiting for his friend to get dressed so they could leave the hospital. From the injured because of the fire, Tsukino Usagi and Osaka Naru had been the ones to be freed first. Tsukino Kenji had taken his daughter away with much effort, because the blonde wanted to stay by Mamoru's side at all times. It had been Makoto, Ami and Rei that had convinced her otherwise.

 _"Don't worry, Usagi. I will tell you at school tomorrow whatever you missed."_

 _"He will be fine. His medical condition should be the same as yours if not better."_

 _"I know why you want to be there for him when he wakes up. But remaining here worrying about him won't accomplish anything. He wouldn't want to worry you, would he?"_

Aino Minako, their new acquaintance as Kaito had been told, had been released next with a few minor injuries here and there and had left almost immediately for some unknown to him business. She had only stalled long enough to chat with Makoto, Ami and Rei. Kaito had seen them from a window only for a mere moment, talking in the hospital's courtyard. They had gone off somewhere after that and Makoto had returned all by herself.

To Kaito's calculative mind something weird was going on. He thought that those four were acting suspicious from the moment he had seen them. Makoto had been restless about Satoru's situation. It was logical since it was obvious that she liked him, but the way she had kept on pacing around the corridor like the world was coming to an end didn't sit well with him. Normally, she was collected and effective in stressful situations. One of the two new girls of their company-Hino Rei- had shown a similar strange behavior as well. She hadn't been pacing around the place like Makoto. On the contrary, she had been sitting in the couch of the waiting room, her eyes a storm of concern and impatience. And Ami.. She had been quietly sitting beside him all the time with her strange looks and quivering lips. The hospital room's door opened, shaking Kaito off his trail of thoughts.

''How is he?'', Mamoru queried, closing the door behind him.

"Still sleeping.", Kaito sighed, twirling Satoru's keys in his hand. He needed to bring him some stuff from his house because he would be staying longer at the hospital. "The doctor said he suffered a small asthma attack.

"We should stay here until he wakes up then.", Mamoru suggested.

"You are tired.", Kaito shook his head in response. "Don't deny it. I know you are. We should go home. Makoto volunteered to stay with him."

"Is she alright? Psychologically, I mean", Mamoru asked. He didn't bother with enquiring about her physical condition. Kaito had told him everything the moment he had woken up.

"Yes. Ami as well. And the other two.", Kaito nodded.

"I suspect that you met Minako, but who is the other one?", Mamoru inquired, as he and Kaito took the elevator to the entrance of the hospital.

''One of the participants in the audition. Her name is Hino Rei.", Kaito answered, as a small ding let them know that they had arrived at their destination.

"I see.", Mamoru murmured.

"I will give you a ride.", the long-haired man offered, revealing a pair of car keys from his pocket. He had been attending some business of his own when he had been alerted by the fire. He had rushed to help, but he of course hadn't expected the sight he had witnessed. "Is something wrong?", he asked upon noticing Mamoru's expression.

''No.'', Mamoru answered with a stretched smile towards the blue heavens. ''On the contrary, everything feels perfect. Well, I just stepped out of a hospital, but still.. Makoto has made so many friends since she met Ami. I am happy for her.''

''Yeah..'', Kaito agreed with a smile of his own. ''Makoto is a nice girl. She deserves to have friends that appreciate her, but..''

''But what?'', Mamoru urged when Kaito hesitated to continue.

''It's nothing.'', Kaito lied, as the two men settled in the car. It was true that he had his suspicions about the group of four, but he wasn't eager to share them. At least not yet. Mamoru was clearly happy about it and he would have hated to break it up for him. There was a chance he would be wrong, anyway. Maybe those four weren't really hiding something among themselves. Al least that was what Kaito hoped for.

* * *

It was almost sundown when Satoru opened his eyes. There was a buzzing sound annoying his ears. He took a deep breath, his chest rising with the effort. There was a nauseating aroma attacking his nostrils. He felt a headache forming as he struggled to remember what had happened. The alert signal on his communicator. Finding Minako's position in the control room. Suggesting the awakening and leaving without knowing if it had occurred. Minako surrounded by fire. The cardian ready to charge. Pain and then only darkness.

''How are you feeling, sir?'', a sweet voice queried from somewhere above him. Satoru turned his head to the right and was met with a soft shade of hazel that was edging towards a rare orange. Long pink hair were flanking the nurse's face as she clutched a stack of papers in her arms.

''Quite well, thank you.'', Satoru replied, clearing his throat when he realized how hoarse his voice sounded. How long had he been caged in a hospital?!

''Do you remember anything?'', the nurse inquired gently, Satoru nodding in response.

"A friend of yours took care of your discharge note, so you are free to go. He brought some clean clothes for you as well.''

''Was.. anyone else injured?'', Satoru asked, already fearing the reply.

''All the patients from the fire have already left.'', the nurse answered.

''Thank goodness.'', Satoru murmured, relaxing on his hospital bed.

''There is someone waiting for you in the waiting room. Shall I call her in?'', the nurse offered.

''If it isn't much of a bother.'', Satoru replied with a small smile, trying his best to mask his anxiety over the suspicion of the person that had been waiting for him to wake up. The nurse smiled and left the room, the door closing without complains behind her. Satoru had just finished getting dressed up, when a knock filled the silence of the hospital room. Slowly the door opened and Makoto walked inside, the door giving a small 'click' as it closed behind her. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Satoru didn't know what to say. He didn't know if she remembered and couldn't as well as ask her if she happened to be a Sailor Soldier killing monsters to prevent world domination. Luckily for him, Makoto was the one that spoke first.

''All the Sailor Senshi are together now.''', she started, never breaking their eye contact. ''Ami, Rei and Mina spoke with Luna, Artemis and Apollo in the center. Rei came back to inform me too, since I stayed here. They explained everything and eased my mind upon certain things. I can't tell you that I am mad that you didn't awaken my memory. If the roles were reversed, I would have done the same. But I can't help but feel that there is a huge gap between us now. Minako told me what happened between the two of you up until now, but I still don't know anything about your current life. Even when I was.. Even then, I didn't see you once!''

''Do you know what the significance of a name is for magic users like us?'', Satoru simply queried, holding her gaze steadily.

''It is a vow one gives to their master. A bond that ties them eternally together. A word that is not to be heard by foreign ears.'', Makoto answered, puzzled by the query.

''The other Shitennou know my real name as the other Senshi know yours.'', Satoru stated. ''Why is that?''

"What are you saying?", Makoto gasped.

"I am trying to stall this now, but I know that they are going to awaken some day too. I will discuss it with them first since it will influence all of us.", Satoru explained. "But I really do want to entrust you my deepest secret."

There was no distance between the two of them now. Satoru was looking down at her with his serious brown eyes, waiting patiently for an answer. He had always been taller than her. Few people were. Makoto felt her eyes tearing up. His hand brushed a stray tear of her cheek and she summoned all her strength to hold the flow of emotion back. Without warning, she threw herself at him, embracing him in her strong hold. She visibly relaxed when his arms locked around her waist.

"I.. want this too.", she whispered truthfully into his chest. She lightened the embrace and looked up at him with adoration. He bent down slightly and she balanced on her toes. Their lips met halfway and crashed violently against each other. They both laughed when they parted, satisfied with the contact.

"I heard that the others are okay.", Satoru said, still holding Makoto in his arms. "The stars informed me that Usagi and Mamoru were inside the building after I went inside. Ami must have scanned the whole place, though. You took them out before they could get hurt, didn't you?"

"That's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about.", Makoto pronounced, her voice acquiring a serious tone that Satoru didn't like in the least.

"What do you mean?", Satoru queried, already feeling that he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Luna and Apollo said that they couldn't bring Mamoru's and Usagi's memories back.", Makoto avowed. "But this isn't the only problem concerning them. Ami couldn't find them through her scans."

"But how is this possible? Her computer is supposed to track people through their energy signals. They have the crystals, thus their signal is pretty strong.", Satoru disclosed.

"Their signal has changed.", Makoto explained, pacing back and forth in frustration. "We tried to locate them through the crystals in the control center but we failed. Ami tried to scan them again and save the results, but it was no use. It's as if.."

"..the crystals have vanished..."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4: Hidden**

 _''-victim was transported to the nearest hospital at a moment's notice. The leading surgeon assured us that the student should be ready to leave the facility in a few days. However, no announcement has been made by the authorities concerning the attacker. We advise you to be careful and st-''_

Mamoru closed the television with a long sigh and took a glance in his kitchen. Makoto was standing above a ruckus of pots and aromatic smells, her trademark ponytail twisted in a neat bun in order to avoid hair falling in the food. The black-haired man had been surprised when he had woken up and found his younger sister cooking so early in the morning, all dressed up for school even though the lessons were going to start hours later. It was one of those moments that Mamoru regretted just a little giving her a key to his apartment.

''So, how did this happen?'', Mamoru asked, taking a sip from his coffee.

''It just played on TV.'', Makoto muttered drily.

''I think you should sit down.'', Mamoru stated, catching on her aggravation.

''Me and Satoru had been returning from the hospital and saw one of my classmates getting attacked by a monster. Long story short, he got injured and we called for an ambulance. We went, I gave some blood and that's it. Are you satisfied now?!'', Makoto inquired frustrated and turned around to face him, but didn't expect him to be standing right behind her.

''You walked all the way to my apartment after having slept for who knows how many hours and given a significant amount of blood. You busted in here and instead of waking me up to talk about your problems you seized the kitchen and started cooking like a maniac. Do you think that I am satisfied?'', Mamoru snapped in response. That speech reminded Makoto that the man standing in front of her wasn't only the prince of Earth, but also the boy she had met at the orphanage all those years ago. It was true that the crystals had created some memories, but the ones from the last two months were theirs. They were real.

''I just..''

''Go get some rest.'', Mamoru sighed, passing a hand through his hair. ''It's best if you don't go to class today. I will call the school and justify your absence.''

''I baked a cake with white chocolate. Don't leave with an empty stomach.'', Makoto instructed, heading towards the bedroom.

''I won't.'', Mamoru assured with a smile.

''Mamoru.'', Makoto called before closing the door behind her.

''Hm, what is it?'', Mamoru questioned.

''Be careful out there, alright? Many things happen lately.", the brunette advised.

"Are you.. referring to the fire?", Mamoru barely whispered, shuddering at the haunting memory.

"N-no I.. What happened in there?", Makoto eventually asked. She hadn't planned on doing so, but since the opportunity had arose, she would take it. Maybe Mamoru had seen something that would help against the aliens. And in his current state Mamoru wouldn't even know about it. It stood unfair in Makoto's mind that the two people who had particularly saved everyone were like this. Without memories and as it had been recently discovered without their crystals. Why couldn't their memories come back? Why did she have to see her princess every day as a simple acquaintance and nothing more? Why weren't the crystals in their rightful places? Had someone taken them? If so, Makoto would find them and make them pay. Makoto clutched the edge of the wall so hard that a piece of it crumbled in pieces and formed a white pile on the floor. If Mamoru noticed he didn't comment as he had developed a great interest in the world outside the living room's window.

"I .. must go.", he hummed and before Makoto could even open her mouth, he was out of the door and into the elevator.

Makoto released a growl as she plummeted on the soft sheets. That Mamoru always refused to talk about his troubles. He was there when someone was in need of assistance, but when it was the other way around it was a whole different story. Maybe he would speak to someone else though. Phoning Satoru and telling him to push the discussion a little didn't sound as a bad plan in Makoto's head. But her phone was in the kitchen somewhere near the sink and the soft bed had just told Makoto how tired and spent out she was. Deciding that a few hours of sleep wouldn't harm anyone (hopefully), she closed her eyes and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep almost immediately.

* * *

They were literally bumping into each other every day and yet she couldn't find him. They were arguing most of the time and yet she would have been dead if it hadn't been for him.

Chiba Mamoru. Why couldn't she find him when she wanted?! Tsukino Usagi had done her research. She knew that he had been released from the hospital the day she had. She may or may have not called in the middle of the night pretending to be her overage grandma. But the point was that he was fine and she couldn't track him down. If only she knew more than just his name and occupation. Like a phone number, an e-mail or an address even. She hated walking, but she was willing to make an exception.

A gust of wind blew through the city and Usagi placed a hand on her hair to prevent them from being toyed around because of it. A sweet smell was touring the streets with a nearby bakery as the starting point. The light turned green. He was passing across the road. He stepped on the pavement and noticed her standing there staring. He stared back for a while before approaching.

"How are you feeling?", they asked simultaneously.

"I'm fine.", Mamoru said, breaking the awkwardness.

"Me too.", Usagi smiled. "Thanks for not leaving me behind."

"Everyone would have done the same.", Mamoru shrugged.

"No.", Usagi objected. "Some people would have been afraid."

"I was too.", Mamoru confessed, blushing a little.

"But you didn't let fear cloud your judgement.", Usagi pressed on. "Or other feelings in the matter. You saved me despite hating me after all."

"I don't hate you.", Mamoru denied, wondering where that idea had come from.

"But we fight every day!", Usagi argued.

"Then, do you hate me?", Mamoru inquired.

"No.", Usagi sighed.

"I say we stop with the many arguments altogether, then.", Mamoru proposed, offering his hand for a handshake. "What do you say?"

"Let's do it!", Usagi concurred widely and shook his hand firmly one time before releasing it.

"Do you want to sit somewhere and continue our talk?", Mamoru queried.

"Yes.. but is it really alright?", Usagi hesitated, fidgeting in her toes. "What if your girlfriend sees us and gets the wrong impression?"

"I don't have a girlfriend.", Mamoru pronounced.

"Don't lie to me!", Usagi shrieked, surprising Mamoru and a few passers-by. "I have seen you with her many times and she is going at my school too!"

"You mean Makoto?", Mamoru hazarded a guess.

"Exactly, so you mus-"

Mamoru couldn't hold it any longer and burst out laughing, cutting Usagi's sentence in half. The blonde watched him with confusion for a few seconds before allowing a small smile to creep on her face. She had never seen him laugh like this, so freely and so perfect. It made a warmth blossom in her chest.

"She is not my girlfriend.", Mamoru choked out after a while. "She is my sister."

"Really?!", Usagi gasped. "But your surnames are different. Is it that you have different fathers?"

"No, we are not related in the slightest.", Mamoru explained. "We just supported each other and grew up together."

"I see.", Usagi nodded. "It sounds nice having someone to confide in."

"It is.", Mamoru agreed. "Then where do you want to go?"

"Hm, I have seen you many times in Motoki's arcade with Makoto and some other people. What about going there?", Usagi suggested.

"Sure, it's my favorite place.", Mamoru opined, as they started walking towards Motoki's workplace.

"Mine too!", Usagi chirped. "But I am not doing very well in the games."

"Do you know Mizuno Ami by any chance?", Mamoru asked.

;;Yes, how is she and the other injured from the fire doing?", Usagi questioned concerned.

"There are doing fine.", Mamoru reassured.

"What about Natsumi?", Usagi asked.

"Who?", Mamoru raised a questioning eyebrow.

"The girl at the corridor..", Usagi reminded him.

"Ah, now I remember. But I don't know what happened to her.", Mamoru reported.

"Nor her or her brother came to school today.", Usagi confessed. "I'm a little worried."

"Don't be. She wasn't in the hospital.", Mamoru declared. "Now, you may find it crazy but I have this strange feeling that right now she is in a better condition than any of us; be it in body.. or in mind."

* * *

An let out a satisfied sigh as hers and Eiru's precious Tree stopped glowing with restoring energy, signaling that the procession was finally finished. The latest cardian she had chosen had done a remarkable job with gathering energy so far. She was named Falion, a white and pink lion whose energy source was a magical spinning wheel. She had just returned a few minutes ago and Eiru had not wasted any more time on waiting around and had played his flute, thus effectively transferring the energy to the Tree. The female alien had welcomed the feeling of raw power that had entered the veins of her body, working to sustain it properly so she could live another day. She had closed her eyes to the sound of Eiru's flute guiding the energy, gently and yet urgently, to the one who needed it the most.

The pink-haired alien opened her eyes and watched with an approving smile as the Tree's leaves slowly started to regain their strength and power. Eiru smiled as well and put the exhausted cardian to rest inside her card for a while. She had been hunting nonstop since the previous night after all. The two aliens hadn't gone with the cardian this time or chosen a specific target for it to take on. They had just instructed her to be extra careful and had let her loose on the city. It wasn't that they weren't grateful that their enemies hadn't shown up to fight her off, but it did strike them as odd. Normally they would rush to the scene in an instant, not wanting anyone to get hurt by the cardian. It was a mystery worthy of solving, indeed.

''I can say that this was actually a good catch. We will survive for some time with this new energy. Humans are really useful to us. It is fascinating that everyone of them has a different energy level and different quality too. It would be nice if we could find a way to scan the whole planet and pick the ones with the best energy for us and the Tree. I must say that it was pretty easy without those troublemakers around to spoil our plans, though.'', An commented, when Eiru finished with his job.

''An, we shouldn't get too confident.'', Eiru advised. ''Those troublemakers you speak of have proved to us that they won't give up on this planet no matter what. We would have been fine if they weren't here, protecting this planet and its residents.''

''Why are they even here? I always thought that there wasn't any magic on Earth.'', An pronounced. ''I mean; I have heard some rumors that this whole system was full of magic once, but then it just vanished or something across the edges.''

''There must have always been. Hidden magic.'', Eiru thought out loud. ''It must have been displayed freely in the past you have heard of, but then someone must have concealed it somehow. And those who use it are hiding themselves too.''

''Why hide something as powerful as magic? Why not use it to achieve your goals with more ease?'', An queried.

''Who knows? We just have to focus on hiding our identity from everyone here. It will be terrible if someone found out.'', Eiru disclosed.

''Our enemies didn't come today. Do you think they are injured from our last fight?'', An asked thoughtfully.

She wanted to get to the bottom of this. She wanted to know who she was up against. They had demonstrated some kind of pattern in the beginning, but last night every speculation An had made had crumbled into a thousand pieces. Now she didn't have the slightest idea of how to uncover their true identities. If they were found, she and Eiru could easily ambush them with a cardian and finish the job once and for all, quickly and efficiently.

''That may be, but I don't think that an injury or two are going to stop them for too long.'', Eiru professed thoughtfully. ''They have grown in numbers as well. Remember?''

''Yes, first there were only a boy and a girl. And now they have three more members in their ranks. For all we know, there may be more.'', An muttered. ''Maybe they are trying to trick us into thinking we know everything about them and then lure us into a trap along with the members we have yet to see. I wish there was a way for us to at least find out their civilian personas.''

''In any case, we must be very careful in our actions from now on'', Eiru concluded. ''No one must suspect our origin. Don't forget that this is a foreign planet, An. Imagine what the people would do to us if they discovered our secret. Or worse the Tree! They would kill it and thus we would die too. And then all of our efforts would be in vain.''

''Don't worry, Eiru.'', An assured. ''I know that you are the only one I can depend on.''

''You too, An.'', Eiru smiled, as they joined hands and kissed deeply under the resurrecting light of their treasure, both feeling a little guilty that there was a small flaw in their words. For each of them thought that they had found someone special on the blue planet.

* * *

Ami's typing on the keyboard was the only sound that could be heard at the control center. They all had gathered there after school, including Makoto who had been feeling better after a good rest and a fresh orange juice. They needed to find yesterday's cardian and she had to be physically prepared for the battle. For they were certain that the aliens were going to make a move again soon. They never let much time pass between their assaults. But now they were currently investigating the problem that had carefully worked its way up to the primary list of things they had to do.

''The control center's scans rely on the essence of the beings, whereas the Mercury computer has saved in its memory our power lineage and is designed to track us that way.'', Ami explained, as she stopped typing and allowed a series of information to appear on the big screen.

''Then, you are saying that the crystals aren't with them anymore?'', Rei queried.

''That can't be the case.'', Satoru objected. ''I don't know how it goes for Usagi, but the golden crystal is Mamoru's lifeline. If he didn't have it, he would..''

''It's the same for Ser- Usagi.'', Minako informed.

''This is how it is.'', Apollo announced. ''The silver and golden crystal are two sides of the same coin. They have similarities but they are also quiet different. For example, the silver crystal is more physical. It must be out of the host's body in order to deliver an attack, while the golden one is more psychometric. The host can use its power anytime, but drawing it out makes it more powerful.''

''Of course the use of the crystals is dangerous for the host's life.'', Luna continued. ''Because when they use them, the crystals lose their will to act on their own accord and protect their hosts.''

''The will?'', Makoto questioned.

''The legendary golden crystal has healing capabilities, right?'', Artemis started, everyone nodding in response to his statement. ''So, back at the studio Mamoru should have come out like he had been taking a stroll on the clean air of a park. And since Usagi was with him, this applies to her too. Under normal circumstances the crystals would have cooperated with each other and would have protected Mamoru and Usagi together. But as you all know, none of this happened that night. They were lucky to survive.''

''I think I understand now.'', Satoru professed. ''They still possess the crystals, but they don't have their power. More accurately, they only possess a small fraction of it.''

''Then where is the power?'', Rei wondered.

''Maybe it is an after effect of the battle with the Dark Kingd-''

Ami froze mid-sentence, when she realized what awful and unwanted memories she was bringing back. She turned to look at her female friends, one by one, hoping for some kind of reaction that wouldn't include anger, sadness or self-loathing. She was happy when she saw that Makoto and Minako seemed unfazed by her slip up, but all her hopes shattered when she turned towards Rei with her bailing fists and unreadable violet orbs.

''Rei..''

''I just need some fresh air.'', Rei offered a fake smile to Minako, before using the teleportation system of the center and disappearing from their view.

''I'm sorry.", Ami apologized, biting back her tears. How could she be so careless?

"Don't be.", Makoto stated. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I will go to check on her. Page us immediately if anything new happens.", Minako said, before following after Rei.

In the real world outside of the control center's pocket dimension, Usagi was playing an arcade game, completely unaware of the fact that she and Mamoru were being closely watched. Her tiny avatar was half-way out of the creepy labyrinth when a two-headed monster jumped in front of it and the passage. A few attacks after that, the game ended with a big 'GAME OVER' flashing red on the screen.

''Someday I will win this game.'', Usagi resolved, standing up from her seat.

''Ah, your lifelong ambition?'', Mamoru laughed.

''You may as well call it that.'', Usagi answered with a wink.

''Mamoru!'', a high-pitched voice called and soon after Natsumi hooked herself on Mamoru's arm. ''I see that the fire didn't injure you. That's a relief.''

''Yes, I'm fine.'', Mamoru affirmed, trying to free himself to no avail.

''Well, let's put this in the past where it belongs.'', Natsumi exclaimed cheerfully. ''There is a disco in the next town. Do you want to go?''

''A.. disco? Isn't this a little old fashioned nowadays?'', the black-haired man enquired, finally managing to pry his hand away. He immediately hid it in his jacket's pocket to avoid another unfortunate capture.

''Then how about karaoke? I am very good at it.'', Natsumi pressed on.

''Hold on a second! Mamoru is with me right now!'', Usagi declared with finality, getting between them and putting some distance.

''You stay away, blondie.'', Natsumi huffed. ''Can't you see that we are having a conversation here?''

''We were having one first! You know, before you came and ruined everything!'', Usagi shouted.

''Okay, that is enough.'', Mamoru demanded, stopping the argument. ''You are classmates. Please try to get along. You are causing trouble for the owners as well. I have to go now. I'm glad that you are both okay. See you.''

''I'm coming along too!'', Natsumi pronounced and exited the arcade along with Mamoru.

Usagi just stood there for a long time staring at the closed doors of the arcade with intensity. There was that feeling again. The one she had felt the previous time she had seen Natsumi and Mamoru together. There was a strange coldness in her body too. Everything had been so warm when Mamoru had been around her. Mentally shaking her head from those thoughts, she called a hasty goodbye to Motoki before stepping outside. She hadn't even taken a whole step before a red rose appeared in her vision. Looking at her side, she saw Seijuro holding out the flower to her with a happy smile, while holding a large bouquet of roses with the other.

''Usagi, pretty girls like you shouldn't twist their smiles into frowns.'', he quoted. ''But worry not. The news I have brought you will cheer you up. For I love you very much, Usagi. Please accept my love. Our love is eternal like the universe. Now let us sail across the..''

''I'm sorry, I have to go!'', Usagi shouted and ran away as fast as she could, hoping he wouldn't follow her around like some twisted stalker.

"The more she rejects me, the more I want her.'', Seijuro muttered to himself, dumbing the bouquet into a nearby trash can. ''You will be mine soon, Usagi.''

* * *

The sun had set when he saw her. She was sitting on the grey pavement, head leaning against a tree for support. Black hair covering her eyes, knuckles turning white from the force she was putting on tightening her fists.

"You are Yuuko's friend, aren't you?"

She looked up at him startled and Kagari was met with a blurry violet gaze. The girl sniffled once and tried to wipe the tears away. She didn't give up even though they kept on falling uncontrollably.

''We.. are.. not.. that close.''

''I see. So, what happened to you?'', Kagari asked, taking a seat beside her on the pavement.

No answer.

''Too personal?''

''You wouldn't understand.'', Rei simply stated.

''Try me.'', Kagari challenged. ''Come on. Don't use names and stuff. Just the situation. Who knows? I may surprise you and find a solution..''

''Rei.''

''Rei.'', Kagari tasted the name in his mouth. ''I'm Kagari. Nice to meet you up close. So, Rei. Tell me your story.''

''I did some terrible things to some people. And now I want to make up for them. But the two people I want to make amends with the most are in no position of understanding me now. And I know that there are others who need me, but I am not sure I can keep going without knowing..''

''Knowing what?''

''Knowing if.. if they will forgive me!''

Kagari was speechless. He had never thought that the girl in front of him would or even could cry. He had always thought that she wasn't the emotional type of person. Yuuko had told him so too. And he had witnessed it himself as well. For every time he would see her by chance while passing from the Hikawa Shrine, she would be as faceless as every single day. It was shocking for him now that he realized that she had just been hiding under a well made mask. Like in the theatrical plays that took place in Ancient Greece where the actors had to wear masks in order to create the perfect image for their character. Kagari had learnt that recently at his university and couldn't help but wonder if the girl next to him also had a fake image to uphold.

He didn't know why he did it. He barely knew that girl. Scratch that. He didn't know her at all. They had never even spoken before. And yet he hesitantly reached out and hugged her shoulders comfortingly. With a small push he brought her a little closer, so her head could rest on his shoulder. He winced inwardly when her body tensed at the contact, but felt relieved when she finally relaxed in his hold. The sun had set when their moment was interrupted by Kagari's phone buzzing with a new message. Rei reluctantly withdrew, her eyes finally dry of tears, as Kagari took his phone out and read the message.

''What?! Is it that late already?!'', Kagari asked himself, taking a look at his clock. ''Sorry, I have to go. My mom just returned from a trip and we are going to celebrate family style.''

''It's okay. I'm sorry for wasting your time.'', Rei apologized, standing up and getting ready to return to the Shrine. Hopefully her grandpa wouldn't have looked for her through the flames. He knew everything, but Rei didn't want to talk about it.

''Why are you doing this?'', Kagari inquired, standing up as well and brushing himself off.

''Doing what?'', Rei arched an eyebrow in confusion.

''Running away from the past, while at the same time denying the future."

"I don't.."

"Oh yes, you do.", Kagari interrupted somewhat harshly. "Those friends of yours must be pretty important for you to get so distressed. But.. if they deem you as important I'm sure they will forgive you. Do they?"

"I'm not sure..", Rei trailed off.

''Of course you do.", Kagari huffed. "Just think about your relationship before the mess happened."

And Rei did just that. But before she could reveal the results of her thinking, a mighty roar filled the silence of the night.

"What the heck is that thing?!", Kagari gaped, as the cardian appeared before him and Rei, teeth barring sharp and claws outstretched. The blonde-haired man grabbed Rei's hand and shoved her behind him protectively as the predator came closer to her prey.

Rei knew that this action was going to get them nowhere.

"You need to leave." _So I can transform._

"Huh?"

"Run, now!", Rei ordered.

"I'm not going anywhere without you!", Kagari declared, turning to look at her with decisive eyes.

"Listen, you hav- Watch out!", Rei yelled and Kagari turned to see that the cardian was almost on top of them.

But it took only a single attack from Sailor Venus to send the attacker sprawling on the ground and into a nearby wall. The orange-clad Senshi performed a perfect loop from the terrace she had been standing on and landed between fiend and friends. In a bat of an eyelid, her three comrades appeared beside her, all ready and set for battle. The cardian snarled at them angrily and prepared her most powerful attack. She opened her mouth widely and an orb of red light started manifesting itself in front of it. It grew and grew until Falion titled her head forward and the numerous bursts of negative energy shot forward towards the group of transformed heroes. None of them dared to move aside. For they knew that the two people behind them wouldn't be able to withstand or even dodge the assault. And thus everyone braced themselves as the energy met them head on.

Soon the entire street was covered by a red ominous mist-like aura with no escape route available. Kagari felt Rei grab on his arm for support as she kneeled on the ground. Normally he would have supported her, but now he felt her weight weighing him in a similar position as his strength was drained away. Minako trembled as she struggled to stay upright, but she gave up the moment she heard Ami's computer fall to the ground somewhere behind her. Makoto barely registered Satoru lowering her to the ground, his breathing hard and uneven. She might have managed to stay up longer if she hadn't given blood.

One thing was for sure. That thing out there had summoned that wheel from yesterday and was draining everyone's energy. And she couldn't do anything about it. At least Mamoru and Usagi were safe. It was one of the thoughts that gave her some comfort. The other one was relying on the fact that they weren't alone. Luna, Artemis and Apollo were at the center. They could awaken Yukio and Kaito to continue after their failure. It was going to be hard with only two of them, but Makoto hoped that they would manage.

All thoughts on the sensitive subject disappeared from the brunette's mind the moment a familiar combination of energy rushed through her veins. The red mist vanished, giving away the vastness of the blue night sky. Sailor Jupiter sat up and watched the situation around her. The two untransformed members of their company were lying unconscious with only Rei showing a few signs of waking up. Minako was already on her feet and Satoru was offering her a hand to help her join them in the world of the standing. Makoto took it with a grateful smile and dusted her skirt off when she stood at her full height.

''Guys..''

Ami's trembling voice made everyone look at her and Rei who were looking with wide eyes somewhere behind them and the snarling cardian, whose magical wheel was lying destroyed on the road. The cardian snarled again at the spot where Rei and Ami were focusing on and the three dared to take a look as well.

Two figures were standing on top of a nearby building's terrace, the crescent moon swimming in the ocean of obsidian extending behind them. The taller one was a man dressed in a sleek white bodysuit with golden outlines. Golden gloves were covering his palms and a long cloak was trailing his back, rising to encircle the back of his head and keeping a portion of his dark hair hidden flanked by layers of white cloth. His eyes and upper face were perfectly hidden behind a silver half-mask, leaving their color to one's imagination. A shorter, slender woman was serving as his lone companion. She was dressed in a white blouse with a high collar and silver, transparent sleeves that reached her wrists. Her white trousers were interrupted by a pair of short silver boots that covered her feet. Her blonde hair was styled in two different braids that almost reached the floor and her facial characteristics were hidden behind a simple golden mask that left only mere slits for her eyes to see through.

''Serenity?'', Minako murmured unconsciously.

''It can't be..'', Satoru muttered in disbelief.

''Who are you?!'', Rei demanded, climbing to her feet, urging Ami to do the same.

''It doesn't matter.. .'', the man answered, his strong voice echoing through the empty streets.

''..who we are.'', the woman's sweet voice added.

''We trust that you can finish the job here.'', the man professed as Falion charged towards him and his partner. The cardian threw another one of her attacks, but when the red dust-like cloud dissipated the couple was nowhere to be seen. Seeing that the ones who had weakened her were gone, Falion turned her attention to the remaining humans. Her trained eyes scanned the energy levels of the assembled company one by one. Noting that they were all quite powerful, she decided that taking one out while they were still distracted was going to be beneficial for her. Of course, she hadn't anticipated one warrior's prediction capabilities as she ran hurriedly towards them.

''Watch out!'', Satoru yelled in warning and everyone's eyes returned to the present from whatever world they were previously travelling in.

Ami managed to grasp her computer at the exact moment Minako grabbed her by the hand and jumped away.

Kagari groaned as he stood from the ground only to be tackled again into it by a frantic Rei.

Makoto felt her muscles freeze as the exhaustion from giving blood and having a portion of her energy taken struck her body all at once. She felt someone push her on the side and she got a glimpse of brown hair before she made contact with the tarmac. Getting up as fast and steady as her feet allowed her, she saw that Satoru had been pinned down by the large cardian, her sharp claws digging into his left shoulder.

Sailor Jupiter was not having any of it. Last night she had witnessed one of her classmates falling from a height to a possible death. Prior to that she had seen the man she was in love with almost getting killed by a fire. And now she wasn't going to stand by as said man's life was in danger once again. Ignoring her struggle, Makoto gathered her strength and called upon her attack. The murderous lighting responded to the Sailor's call and fell from the night sky in order to meet Jupiter's antenna and be led against the enemy. Satoru knew better than to move as the cardian was violently taken out of his sight and disappeared in a green explosion of thunder, leaving only an empty card behind.

''Jupiter!'', Satoru shouted as he ran to a kneeling Makoto's side. ''You pushed yourself to hard.''

''Don't worry. I'm okay.'', Makoto assured with a smile.

''Let's go!'', Minako urged, gesturing with her eyes towards Rei and Kagari who were just getting up from the floor. Getting the sent message, Satoru pulled Makoto up and they followed Ami and Minako up to the rooftops of the slumbering city.

''How are you feeling?'', Rei asked concerned, when they were left alone.

''A little disappointed that I missed the battle.'', Kagari sighed. ''I really wanted to see those heroes in action. Oh, well. Maybe another time.''

''Yeah, maybe..'', Rei muttered. "You are taking this too lightly though."

"So are you.", Kagari smirked.

"That doesn't answer my question.", Rei disclosed.

''You live at the Shrine right?'', Kagari inquired.

''Yes with my grandpa.'', Rei answered despite being knowing that he had intentionally changed the subject.

''It's on my way home. I'll walk you there.'', Kagari professed.

''Weren't you late for something earlier?'', Rei questioned.

''Oh, you mean before the oversized Pokémon came searching for dinner? Well, I won't make it there in time even if I fly. If I am going to be late, let me be at least very late.'', Kagari replied.

''I don't understand your reasoning.'', Rei pronounced with a laugh, as they started walking together.

''Have you been in many other incidents like this. Because they seem to haunt me lately. First it was the fire and now this one.'', Kagari exclaimed.

''I saw you there. Were you inside when it started?'', Rei gasped horrified. She had seen him standing next to the fire trucks, but not inside the building.

''Well, not really. I was just watching from outside as it burned.'', Kagari replied and tried to shake the memory away as a pair of angry green eyes flashed across his mind.

''Did something bad happen there?'', Rei queried.

''No, all the people were saved.'', Kagari uttered. ''Don't tell me you were one of the heavily injured?''

''I just had a check-up just in case.'', Rei smiled. ''There were far worse situations.''

''Say,'' Kagari started. ''did you see a black-haired man and a woman with long blonde hair at your hospital?''

''What about them?'', Rei raised an eyebrow, stopping abruptly in front of the steps of the Shrine.

''Well, I was there when they came out of the flaming building. I guess I was a little worried since the man passed out the moment he stepped outside.'', Kagari explained.

''I see.'', Rei nodded. ''Those two are.. friends of mine and they are fine, I assure you."

"That's good to hear.", Kagari grinned. "Well, good night and I guess that I'll see you around?"

"Oh, yes of course.", Rei promised and started climbing the steps of the Shrine.

She stopped in the middle of them and focused on Kagari's board back retreating through the now silent night. In her mind's eye she could almost see a bold cape dancing behind him. She allowed a heavy sigh to escape her lips as her problems unburied themselves from the prison of her mind. There were just too many responsibilities coming with her double life. Decisions. She and the others needed to take some drastic measures. And they had to do it soon. There was the deal about awakening their three remaining comrades who were still in the dark, then the fact that Mamoru and Usagi were unable to remember and now those two mysterious figures who not only resembled them but felt like them too. Maybe the sacred fire would bare some answers to at least one of those problems. With those thoughts in mind, Rei ran up the remaining steps and entered the Fire room. There would be no sleep for her tonight.

In another area of Tokyo, Tsukino Usagi grumbled as she tossed around in her sleep, knocking her covers on the carpeted floor of her bedroom.

Chiba Mamoru's eyes shot suddenly open as he woke up abruptly from his slumber. He sat up on his bed, rubbing his tired eyes, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't remember the dream he had woken up from. Or perhaps the nightmare.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** **Hi, everyone! I'm finally back into writing! :)**

 **Thank you all for tolerating my small hiatus. I hope that I won't be forced to have another one in the future. This year will be extremely busy for me so I may not be able to update every week. But there is no way I am abandoning this story so if I am late on updates worry not. It's probably going to be because I won't have time to edit the chapter. Nevertheless, I'll try my best.**

 **Enjoy and review! (maybe)**

 **Chapter 5: Towards the truth**

Kaito was disinterested. Another five minutes and he would have successfully been sitting in front of his old, but in perfect condition grand piano for two straight hours, just staring at the white and black keys. Disinterested, bored, nonchalant.. Those few feelings were something entirely new for him. He had been surrounded by music by a very young age. His mother had wanted for him to be educated in many fields and get a spherical idea about the world around him. His father hadn't objected, but sometimes Kaito wondered if he had regretted that decision. Kaito also wondered if he would have been so knowledgeable if his mother hadn't encouraged him to learn.

Science. Art. Music. Languages. Kaito had never been bored with so many interests to work with. He used to have private teachers for everything. Every day after school, except for weekends. Music had always been his favorite subject of learning. Guitar. Piano. Drums. He knew a little violin and harp too. Nevertheless, even though he was sitting in front of his dearest of instruments he couldn't bring himself to come up with anything to play. Even the pieces he had created before seemed dull to his mind right now. Or even those that belonged to honorary musicians of the past and present. He considered getting up and playing one of Kaioh Michiru's pieces on his violin, but the mere thought of having to find the key for the closet he kept his smaller instruments, caused him to reconsider. He just felt like he was supposed to be doing something else, something more important and significant. And there also was this problem that had come up with his father..

Grumbling in mild frustration, Kaito abandoned his position and dragged his feet towards his bedroom. He collapsed on his desk's chair and rested his head with one hand, while the other was busy operating his laptop. After some clicks and types he found himself scrolling through a gaming website, searching for a high-rated chess game. Finding such an icon, he clicked on it and waited for the game to load, watching a small box filling with a green liquid in place of a proper timer. The loading finished and Kaito felt the urge to bump his head on the keyboard when one of those stupidly maddening advertisements appeared on the screen. Online advertising. He hated it. It was always such a big waste of time. But now the worst thing of all was the absolute lack of a cancel button. That meant that he actually had to endure this annoyance.

He hadn't expected himself to develop such a sudden interest in it though. The first thing that had caught his eye was the flashy introduction title. Virtual reality theater. His head had snapped up at that and his eyes had focused solely on the screen, absorbing every single detail of the ad. By the time it ended, he could care less about chess. He had always been a fan of RPG and gaming in general. Yes, he had started because he had never anything better to do, but he had developed a great interest in them in the long run. He wouldn't miss a virtual game for the world. And he didn't plan to go and try it alone. He wasn't the same as he was before. Now he had friends to spend time with. Shutting off his PC, he reached for his phone and sent a message to Mamoru and Satoru explaining everything and requesting for a meeting. He was satisfied when both responses were positive.

Half an hour later, Kaito parked his car in the parking lot of the large arcade located in the Juuban shopping district. It was one of the few places that had this game established so far. Dropping his car keys inside his sweatshirt's pocket, he approached the entrance. A head of raven hair alerted him to Mamoru's presence. That one was always on time whenever they scheduled for a meeting. The man was leaning against a column, his eyes shielded by his bangs as he stared at the ground.

Trying not to show any hint of concern, Kaito sped up his pace and patted Mamoru's back lightly. ''Hey, are you alive?'', he joked, although a small part of him expected his friend to fall unconscious to the ground the moment he had touched him. Thankfully, that was not the case.

Mamoru's head snapped violently up at the voice and he shielded his eyes against the blinding sun, as if he had been stuck in a dark cave for a year. ''When did you get here?'', Mamoru queried, adjusting his vision and coming up to his full height.

''A while ago.'', Kaito shrugged. ''Are you okay? You look.. well..''

''I didn't sleep well last night.'', Mamoru replied. ''A lot of dreams.''

''What kind of dreams?''

Kaito jumped at the voice heard from behind him and turned around sharply. Mamoru stayed unmoving either because he had seen him approaching either due to the fact that he was too tired to perform such a lively reaction. Meanwhile, Satoru was standing there casually waiting for an answer with a serious expression. Too serious at that.

''More like nightmares.'', Mamoru sighed. ''And I don't remember a thing. It's frustrating. It would have been better if I actually knew what keeps me awake. Anyway, what happened to you? You missed a lot of classes this week.''

''Oh, yeah, that.'', Satoru muttered, turning his gaze away. ''I was a little sick. Aching throat. Stomachache. Walking to the kitchen was a hero's achievement.''

''You should have called us.'', Kaito chided disapprovingly. "You do live alone, don't you? What if your sickness had gotten worse all of a sudden or you collapsed in the middle of the night. In your bathroom. And then the police found you dead. You mustn't allow shame to cloud your judgement!"

"You are overreacting.", Satoru muttered dryly.

''I had Makoto staying in my house all week, but I would manage to help you out somehow.'', Mamoru agreed. ''It was not like she needed babysitting or anything. I insisted she stayed over in case something happened. Giving blood took a lot out of her system. I was surprised it took her so long to recover. She must have been doing things behind my back. Cooking, cleaning, watching romance movies on TV. That girl cannot sit tight for even a few seconds if I am not watching like a hawk.''

Satoru knew the truth behind those last words very well. Let's just say that fighting monsters hadn't been in the doctor's recipe for getting better. But somehow the days after the attack of that oversized cat had been worse. Makoto had missed school, mostly to keep an eye on Mamoru, while Ami had spent her days glued on Usagi. She had even introduced Minako and Rei to her, much to their delight. As for him and also Minako, they had both skipped most of their classes at university and school respectively. Satoru didn't worry about that. He could catch up. Minako had acted like she had escaped prison. They had spent the majority of their time in the control center with the three felines, trying to find a lead to their enemies. And they had come up with nothing. The fact that there had been no other attacks didn't help their situation in the least. It was like they had vanished from the face of Earth. Which would have been good, if enemies tended to do that out of the blue. But from his experience from both past lives, Satoru knew otherwise. Enemies didn't just back down like that. They could strike anywhere at any given moment. That's why when Kaito had texted him, he had accepted immediately. He couldn't leave them alone, wandering around the city without being able to defend themselves. He had to discuss with the others about what they were going to do with him, Kagari and Yukio soon. It was real nice leaving them out of this for a while, but Satoru had realized that they needed the help. If there weren't for those new players they would have already been defeated.

Which brought him to the second urgent subject he and Minako had discussed. The pair that had saved them. They looked so much like Usagi and Mamoru and their auras felt like them too. It was disturbing to say the least. They had rechecked Mamoru's and Usagi's power signature, but there had been no difference from before. Minako had suggested that they were somehow hiding themselves from them, but Luna had disagreed, claiming that there was no reason for them to do so. Artemis had also added that the crystals, though very powerful, are unable to hide their presence. And Satoru wholeheartedly agreed with the two of them. Apollo hadn't offered much to their meetings. Satoru could tell that there was something troubling him, but with all the investigations he and Minako had gone through he hadn't found enough time to address the matter. He would have to do so sometime in the near future though. He didn't like his friends to be like that.

''Satoru! Are you coming?'', Kaito called.

''Yes! Let's go.'', Satoru answered, realizing that he had spaced out for a while there. He caught up with his two friends in the building and they moved to the registration area before being guided by an employee to the right room. It was a spacious one with a lot of people in it already. They were all busy getting their equipment ready for the 'war'.

"'Hm, it seems that it is for teams of two only.'', Kaito murmured thoughtfully, noticing that everyone was assembled in pairings.

''It's okay. You two can team up.'', Mamoru offered.

''No, this wouldn't be fair.'', Kaito objected.

''It's okay. I just saw a friend of mine that seems to have no partner. I will just go with her.'', Mamoru assured, before leaving their company.

''Hey, wasn't that girl in the fire too?", Kaito inquired, as he and Satoru grabbed a pair of fake guns.

"How would I know?", Satoru shrugged.

"No, I think it's the girl that he saved.", Kaito muttered. ''That hairstyle is pretty.. um.. unique. Tsukino Usagi. That's her name. I didn't know that they were hanging out though. Man, I have been so busy that I had missed so much."

"It's news to me too.", Satoru remarked. "But it was expected."

"Why is that?", Kaito questioned and Satoru mentally cursed himself for letting that slip out.

"He saved her and all.", Satoru replied, trying to come up with something on the spot. "So it is logical, right?"

"I guess.", Kaito murmured thoughtfully. "Our group is gaining members significantly lately."

"Is that a bad thing?", Satoru inquired.

"Not, really. It feels like that something is missing. That is all.", Kaito sighed. "Anyhow, let's get this game started!"

* * *

Usagi had woken up that morning by her mother mercilessly laying siege to her covers and demanding for her to get up in an instant. She wanted to clean up and wanted everyone out of the house. In a weekend. On a bright sunny morning perfect for sleeping in with a few sun rays warming up one's face from the window.

Despite her pleadings, her father had taken her and Shingo out without accepting a peaceful treaty. It had been Shingo that had suggested going into a virtual reality theater or something, but Usagi had been busy sleeping in the car to offer an alternative. When Shingo kicked her as a waking up call they had already arrived. It was early so there weren't many people, but Usagi guessed that there would be eventually. But everything in Usagi's life had seemed to become brighter the moment he came around.

"My fair lady, would you be my loyal partner in this battlefield?", Mamoru joked with a half-bow.

"Why, yes, my lord.", Usagi bowed mockingly in return, trying to suppress her giggles. "I would be homered to be in your presence."

"Then, I shall protect you from the mighty beasts at all costs.", Mamoru exclaimed, taking one of the laser guns in his hands for emphasis.

"As will I.", Usagi promised, placing the last piece of armor on her person.

They both broke out laughing after that, causing a lot of stares to be directed at them. Shingo's eyes remained on the scene only for a few seconds before he shrugged it off and continued searching for a right size of armor. He of course made a mental note to himself to inquire and tease his sister about it later on. Kenji's focus stayed with them a while longer and he decided that he ought to keep an eye on his little girl in there. There were monsters in the real world too after all.

A gate at the far end of the room opened and all the players hurried inside. Mamoru and Usagi nodded at each other and ventured inside along with the other attendants with two pairs of eyes always focused on them.

''This is disgusting.'', Usagi claimed, looking around at the slimy cave system they had ended up to.

''It's supposed to be like this.'', Mamoru retorted. ''It's a den of monsters and we are playing a combative game after all.''

''It could be more elegant.'', Usagi huffed, as a bat-like monster appeared before them and Mamoru blasted it with his weapon. ''You are good at this. Have you participated in something similar before?''

''Not really.'', Mamoru answered. ''It's just instinct, I guess, or the desire to have the perfect score or something. I don't really know. It feels somewhat familiar though..''

''Yeah, I actually have that feeling too. But I get a headache just thinking about it.'', Usagi whined, rubbing her temples.

''Then don't. Let's just enjoy ourselves.'', Mamoru suggested. ''By the way, have you seen two guys wandering around here somewhere?''

''You mean Satoru and Kaito?'', Usagi inquired.

''You know them?'', Mamoru asked back.

''Not personally. Ami told me about them though. And I had seen Satoru in the hospital that day." Usagi explained. ''I think Ami likes Kaito.''

''Really? I've never noticed.'', Mamoru professed. ''Well, they would do well together.''

''Let's go. Your friends went this way.'', Usagi urged, pointing towards the direction they should take. Another monster blocked their way and Usagi raised her gun to kill it, only for someone else to intervene and destroy it before she had the chance.

''A perfect shot! Wasn't it simply wonderful Mamoru?'', Natsumi shrieked, grabbing Mamoru by the arm.

''Natsumi! That was my monster!'', Usagi complained.

''Too bad you are too slow then.'', Natsumi answered back, tightening her hold on Mamoru.

''Natsumi, what are you doing?!'', Seijuro questioned, coming to join in the conversation.

''Uh, nothing.'', Natsumi laughed awkwardly, releasing Mamoru from her grasp. ''This is Chiba Mamoru, a friend of mine.''

''When did we..''

''Usagi! You are here too?'', Seijuro exclaimed, cutting Mamoru's question off.

''Yes! And me and Mamoru have some business to attend to, so we will be leaving.'', Usagi announced.

''Then we will accompany you,'', Natsumi pronounced.

''What are you doing? This is not a game!'', Seijuro whispered to her ear.

''I know, I know. Don't worry. But we won't stand out if we have more teammates.'', Natsumi claimed. ''We can leave them halfway and proceed with our plans.''

''Fine.'', Seijuro sighed. Spending some time with Usagi wouldn't be bad after all. But he had suspicions about the man with her. Natsumi was acting strangely around him too. Maybe if he was lucky the cardian he and Natsumi were going to unleash later would drain him dry and finish him for good. They desperately needed energy for the Tree after all and the more they gathered, the better it would be for it and them. The situation was serious. If it died, so would they. Natsumi had found out this morning that due to those guardians' noisy interference, the Tree hadn't gathered enough energy to sustain itself and them even for half a week. Seijuro was growing worried with every minute that passed by without them gathering fresh energy, but he took a few calming breaths and assured himself that they would ultimately succeed.

As the recently assembled team of four walked further inside the virtual monster den, more and more monsters tended to appear in their way. It had only taken a single hostile exchange of looks for Mamoru and Seijuro to lose themselves in a competition. Mamoru didn't like him. He felt wrong. There was something about him that didn't sit alright with him. Natsumi was like that sometimes too. Maybe getting Usagi and walking away from the two of them would be the best option in this situation. However, he wasn't the one to suggest a separation.

"Well, it was nice spending time with you and all, but me and my sister must go. See you!", Seijuro exclaimed and dragged Natsumi in the opposite direction as fast as he could. She didn't complain at all as he led the way to a secluded area, which was beyond weird. Normally, she would have suggested they release the cardian somewhere with humans around. This didn't ease his previous concerns at all.

"That was.. eh.. interesting.", Mamoru muttered, staring quizzically after them. "Who was that boy, anyway?"

"Natsumi's brother.", Usagi merely shrugged, her attention focused solely on her surroundings.

"What are you.."

"Shhh.", she hummed urgently, pressing a slender finger against his lips to pass her point across. "We are being followed.", she whispered and shoved him behind a nearby pillar before joining him in the makeshift hideout. Not a minute later, two figures appeared from within the darkness.

''Where did she go? I thought I heard her voice from around here somewhere.'', Kenji wondered, scratching his head in confusion.

''Dad, Usagi will be fine.'', Shingo whined with a pout. ''Let's get back to the game, please.''

''But we shouldn't leave her alone.'', Kenji objected.

''She has company.'', Shingo exclaimed.

''That's what I'm worried about.'', Kenji muttered.

''Fine, then. You go search and I will defeat some monsters.'', Shingo declared and ran off inside a tunnel.

''Shingo, wait! You are going to get lost.'', Kenji shouted after him, but it was already too late. With a defeated sigh and a last look around, the adult man turned on his heel and followed his younger child hastily.

''Sorry about that. My dad is always like this.'', Usagi sighed, as she and Mamoru resumed their walking in search for Kaito and Satoru. Mamoru only shrugged in response, showing that he didn't really mind about it.

''What is this music?'', Mamoru inquired after a bit of silence, stopping in his tracks.

''Music?'', Usagi questioned, coming to a halt in front of him.

''Listen carefully.'', Mamoru instructed.

''Oh, I hear something. But it's very faint and kind of spooky.'', Usagi admitted. ''It must be a part of the ga-''

Screams resounded throughout the fake cave and Usagi gasped instead of finishing her sentence. A look was shared between her and Mamoru and they both ran towards that direction, intending to help whoever was in trouble. However, they couldn't help but stare for a while when they came face to face with the source of the problem. A female monster was standing before them with olive green skin and a skimpy crimson and white outfit. A few players were lying unconscious on the ground around her, their weapons scattered here and there as if they had tried to flee and failed. The monster turned towards them, tentacles rising from every part of her body.

''It looks so real!'', a voice exclaimed and Usagi and Mamoru turned around to see Shingo and Kenji standing behind them.

''Doesn't it look too realistic?'', Kenji stuttered in response.

''Is this really a part of the game?'', Mamoru queried. ''The people seem to be getting hurt.''

''Maybe they are just holograms, too.'', Usagi guessed.

''No, I saw this group getting inside when the doors opened. They are real.'', Shingo informed.

At that moment the tall monster released a powerful shriek, causing them to jump in fright. Kenji immediately hugged Shingo to his chest protectively and pulled Usagi closer to him as the monster started advancing towards them. Mamoru raised his laser gun and shot at it, but no matter how many times he tried, the monster didn't disappear like all the others had. A green tentacle extended, grabbed the weapon out of his hands and threw it aside, unplugging it from the power source that was positioned on his back with ease. The four humans had no other choice, but duck on the ground as all the tentacles were hurled towards them. They hit a wall instead, causing a few bits of it to collapse and a slight shook to travel across the territory, alerting all the players that something was wrong. However, the attacker didn't back down. It took only another swipe of her tentacles for her to catch her prey. She lifted the four humans in the air easily and paid no mind to their futile struggles as she started the usual routine.

Usagi had tried so much to escape from her hold, but no matter what she did the tentacles wouldn't let go of her hands. Her younger brother was hanging upside down, while her father was tied all around the torso. Mamoru was fidgeting from beside her, trying to separate his arms from his sides. And then the sensation came. Her vision blurred as an unexplainable pain rushed through her body. Her screams mixed with those of the other captives. She felt tears sting in the corner of her eyes as the pain intensified. She opened them just enough to see the blurry figure of Mamoru, still trying to escape with his blue eyes tighten shut. _This can't be happening. Not again. Not like this._

She didn't become aware of the deep meaning behind her thoughts, even when she landed with a loud thud on top of a half-conscious Mamoru.

She sat up on her knees sharply and saw the monster aiming for them again, her father and brother watching with terrified expressions from the other side of the room.

And then there was fire.

* * *

23 minutes and five seconds. That was the exact amount of time that had passed since the moment Luna and Artemis had called on the communicators, saying that a cardian had appeared inside a game theater. The same theater that three Sailor Senshi and two felines were standing impatiently out off. In a line of a thousand people with hundreds of them in front of them. Nor the owners nor the workers of the facility had realized what was happening inside. Ami had tried to figure out what was happening in it, but it seemed that the new cardian was much stronger than the others and would not allow any form of outside interference. Therefore, it had set a barrier around the building. What went in, could not come out.

''This is going to take us ages!'', Rei huffed in frustration, tapping her foot continuously on the pavement.

''At least Satoru is in there.'', Ami exclaimed, trying to keep a level head and stay calm and collected.

''Yes, along with Usagi, Mamoru and Kaito who can't defend themselves!'', Makoto snapped at the shorter girl who shrank a little backwards in response.

''I know how you feel, but there is no reason to take it out on me.'', Ami argued.

''That is enough.'', Minako ordered with finality. ''For the time being we can only be patient.''

''We aren't supposed to be fighting in times like this.'', Luna whispered to herself.

''We are supposed to go in there and battle, but everything is going upside down today.'', Artemis whispered back, having heard her statement. ''And where is Apollo?!''

''I don't know.'', Luna replied. ''I haven't seen him since this morning.''

''It will be too late by then.'', Ami objected, small droplets of worry shining in her eyes as she stared at her leader.

''I know.'', Minako sighed. ''But the only thing we can do now is wait.''

''Waiting is clearly not an option!'', a new voice professed. Six startled heads whipped suddenly around and had a really hard time believing what they saw. Yukio was approaching them with Kagari hot on his heels. His movements were stiff and steadfast and his eyes a sea of sharp silver that made everyone who was on his way to wisely step out of it.

''Kunz-''

''We are going in from the rooftops.'', Yukio instructed, interrupting Minako. He grabbed her hand forcefully as he passed by the stunned group and pulled her with him as they walked. Kagari, passed by them a second later, shoulders slumped and eyes focused on the ground. Rei felt the air go cold around her as she slightly bumped into her without saying a word. Without even looking her way.

''What are you three waiting for?'', Apollo questioned upon arriving. ''Let's go!'', he urged, climbing on Ami's shoulder.

''Did you..'', Makoto trailed off.

''Yes, I did.'', Apollo nodded. ''And I have every intention to go in there, find Kaito and do the same.''

''We haven't discussed about this yet.'', Makoto scowled.

''What was there to discuss exactly?! The planet is in danger. We and they, as its defenders, are obligated to assemble and protect it. Protect the planet and the prince and princess. I had enough with all this stuff about not awakening them, because they would live a better life in the dark. Rubbish! How did you feel when you remembered everything after everyone else had!?''

''Listen, here, you..''

''I know that I shouldn't have acted on my own.'', Apollo sighed, effectively silencing Makoto. ''But a team needs all of its members to function properly. We will be incomplete until the moment Usagi and Mamoru are back to us, but with Yukio, Kagari and soon Kaito we will be just a step closer.''

''Let's go.'', Makoto decided, putting her feelings aside. Ami and Rei did the same and ran towards the rooftops, Luna and Artemis running behind them and Apollo holding on Ami's shoulder for dear life. They entered the nearest alley, transformed and climbed easily on top of the building. The rooftop consisted entirely of small square windows and Yukio wouldn't have a problem opening one, even if he wasn't transformed. The protective iron melted easily on Kagari's fiery fingers and one by one the heroes jumped inside. Familiar screams reached their ears when they landed and they all rushed to their direction fearing for the worst.

Kagari and Makoto were the ones who reached the chamber first. The brunette dashed forward bravely and delivered an expert kick to the cardian's stomach, causing her to drop all of her victims. She watched as Kenji immediately grabbed Shingo in his arms and ran away and focused on the remaining two. Her thick tentacles extended towards them, but were met by a fierce wall of fire. Kagari peered behind him through the flames and frowned at the terrifying looks he received from his liege and his princess. He had refused to believe it, but now he knew that it was true. Forcefully he took his eyes away and concentrated on his power. He wouldn't let anything pass by him and hurt Mamoru and Usagi even more.

However, that appeared to be more difficult than it seemed. The newest cardian was more powerful than the previous one and wouldn't yield despite how many times they would attack her, individually or with double attacks. Maybe they could attack more forcefully if they could get her to stay still for a moment. But that was nearly impossible. If Kagari were to join the battle, he would have to drop the firewall first. Thus, Usagi and Mamoru would be exposed to the attacks, which was out of the question. Furthermore, Ami was preoccupied with trying to find the cardian's weakness, if she had any and judging by the soft glow that surrounded the ceiling, Kagari could tell that Satoru was somewhere nearby busy with trying to keep it from falling apart. Meanwhile, Apollo was stuck in one place, hiding behind some rocks with his kind. All in all, no help was going to come any time soon.

Yukio and Minako barely dodged as the tentacles flew towards their direction. Makoto attacked the cardian from behind, but her thunder didn't do much damage by itself. Her tentacles swirled violently around her body and swept Minako, Yukio and Rei off their feet. The threesome hit a wall forcefully and fell to the ground still conscious, but slightly bruised in some places. Kagari wasn't affected by the attack only because he was too far away from the creature and Makoto danced around the tentacles with only getting minor hits. But she wasn't prepared when the cardian leapt from her protective cocoon and charged from above. She gasped and shielded her face as the cardian came down, knowing that at her state she wouldn't be able to form a proper attack.

The energy from the previous week returned. It hit the cardian head on and sent it sprawling on the ground, away from Makoto.

The Senshi of Jupiter whirled around and looked up.

The three felines stepped into the open and examined the two figures with critical eyes and serious expressions. It was their job to figure things like these out, after all.

Ami scolded herself for getting momentarily distracted and started typing more wildly than before on her mini computer.

Yukio and Minako shared a look for the first time since what seemed like forever.

Satoru stopped dead in his tracks, as he arrived at the scene, panting from the great usage of power.

Rei sent her violet eyes towards Kagari and he obeyed at her silent command. He released the flames, making the two people shielded behind it visible.

Usagi was sitting still like a statue, her eyes wide and welled up with fresh tears.

Mamoru was crouching beside her, his right hand clutching his left side tightly, his expression one of pain and his skin a tone paler than usual.

Kagari swallowed hard. He didn't like it. He didn't like it at all.

That truth he had awakened into.

Usagi couldn't take this anymore. With newfound resolve, she hoisted herself and Mamoru up and sprinted quickly towards the nearest opening.

When Kagari turned around, it was already too late.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6: Memories of a not-so-distant past**

Kaito and Ami were sitting at a bus station just a block away from the later's house, the former's car parked a little further away. Ami was twisting her mini computer in her hands like a Rubik cube waiting to be solved. Kaito took a small sip of the juice he had acquired from the nearest vending machine and stared off into the distance. Everything was still and quiet. The breeze was so weak that it couldn't even wrestle with Kaito's long hair. Not a single car was passing by. A cricket's song was reaching their ears. Kaito took another sip, a longer one, and sighed as the cold liquid traveled across his throat. He still couldn't comprehend how his day had turned out to be so complicated..

* * *

 _There had been a time when one didn't find one of his friends stumbling out of fiery buildings with half-dead girls in their arms. There had also been a time when that specific one didn't run around fantasy mazes trying to locate another friend in the midst of what he could only explain as a drunk earthquake._

 _Another tremor and Kaito almost stumbled to the ground, managing to steady himself at the last minute. To him it seemed like ages had passed since he had lost sight of Satoru. One moment they were blasting some virtual monsters along with a few other random players and the next panic and chaos had occurred. A group of five teenagers had run passed them in a state of hurry, mumbling something about real monsters that had attacked some people._

 _He had of course laughed it off immediately and assumed that those children weren't accustomed to how realistic a virtual monster could be even though Kaito had to admit that he had taken part in much more realistic virtual games in the past. He had pushed the memory of waking up in the hospital after being trapped in one of them out of his mind as quickly as possible. The green-eyed man had only started feeling a bit alarmed when the tremors had started. And when dust-real dust- and real, actual pieces of brick had started falling from above, the situation had gotten out of hand. A stampede of terrified players had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and had taken him along for a ride towards the exit. The only thing Kaito had accomplished regarding Satoru had been seeing a brown blur running in the exact opposite direction the frenzied mass was taking him._

 _He had escaped from said mass a mere few minutes ago and now there he was searching for a friend who obviously had enjoyed his stay in the hospital the first time and wanted to be escorted there once again. Kaito knew that it couldn't be that though, anxiety and jokes aside. Even if Satoru had developed an interest on a doctor or a nurse he was level headed enough to meet her again under other circumstances. Surely he wouldn't put himself in unnecessary danger for such a frivolous reason. Besides Kaito knew that it was only a matter of time, before Satoru and Makoto moved their relationship one step ahead. He could swear that those two had been made for each other. Makoto was strong, independent and straightforward. Supportive, joyful, caring and always there when someone needed her. Mamoru was lucky to have her as a sister and Kaito felt lucky having her as a friend. Although sometimes Kaito felt like she was the big sister of their little family. Satoru was different, but not quite. Sure, if you saw him getting ready to cook, you might as well call half of the firefighters forces of Japan in advance. As for sports, he was nothing like Makoto. But Kaito was sure that if they lived in a world of war, Satoru was going to be the first to die. Not because he was going to be unqualified for it, but because of his protective nature. He was like a big brother of some sort to him and he would never leave a friend behind no matter what._

 _Which left him curious about his actions. The brunette had immediately thrown his laser gun aside and took off in a hurry. Kaito didn't like secrets. He didn't like people and especially his friends keeping things from him. His current companions were the only ones he ever had and he had placed his complete and blind faith in them. And he expected if not the same at least a similar form of trust from them. But Satoru was clearly troubled. And Kaito had only now noticed it. Finally, he heard some voices and immediately broke into a sprint towards them. He didn't know if it was the person he was looking for, but currently it was the only lead he had. Besides, if someone was injured or in trouble he wouldn't hesitate in giving a helping hand or two. However, the sight he witnessed made him stop in his tracks and rub his eyes only to make sure that he wasn't seeing some kind of twisted hallucination._

 _There was a.. monster. A green plant-like monster sprawled across the ground, wounds and nasty scratches covering every muscle. A monster that momentarily shone and turned into a blank card. A group of four mini-skirted girls and three weird-attired men were looking up at a pair who Kaito wasn't sure if they were even human from the way they glowed in the dim lit chamber. There was something familiar about them, but Kaito couldn't exactly place the thought. Whoever they were, they disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving Kaito to think if they had really been there. He looked at the remaining individuals, but they didn't disappear. Instead, they stood still, like statues, staring at that same spot with wide eyes. The fact that he couldn't see them clearly because of the dust was irritating too. With a quiet sigh, he stepped towards them, intending to request for an explanation, when a sudden weight fell on his chest and he scrabbled backwards in surprise. He groaned as he hit his head on the concrete below and sat up while rubbing the back on his head._

 _All the attention had shifted to him now and he felt a little awkward because of it. His eyes shifted from one person to the other, but they all remained still staring or gaping at him. At least he thought that they were doing so from the stiff positions their blurry forms had taken. Feeling something small move on his lap, he looked down only to meet the overly expressive eyes soft of a white cat. Somehow that look had managed to unnerve him more than all the others. Animals weren't supposed to look so.. so human anyway. And they weren't supposed to be playing games either. It was likely that it was just a robot from the game. Anyhow, Kaito took his eyes of the cat and stared up once again. His head was pounding less now and his vision wasn't so blurry and hazy. Thus he could see a little better despite the remaining cones of dust that were twirling in the air. He moved his head a bit forward and focused on the nearest man, his eyes squinting in order to form a better picture of the person._

 _''Hold on a second!'', Kaito shouted, getting on his feet and ignoring the human voice that left Apollo's mouth as he was roughly pushed off Kaito's lap._

 _Kagari visibly flinched at the accusing tone of Kaito's voice, but nevertheless took a step forward with the hope that his brother now remembered everything they had been through. Maybe Apollo's spell didn't need to be all shiny and sparkling. However, said hope died with Kaito's next words and stabbed him in the heart before taking her leave._

 _''You are the bastard that almost got Mamoru and Usagi killed that night!"_

* * *

 _Usagi was well aware of Mamoru's heavy breathing as she pulled him along through the fake cave system. He hadn't asked for her to stop or even slow down. Thus, he was fine. And there was no trace of blood. But what if the bleeding was internal?! No._

 _Usagi remembered that Ami had told her one day that Mamoru was studying hard to be a doctor. He would have noticed if something was wrong with his bodily fractions, wouldn't he? Yes. Everything was going to be fine. Despite that reassuring thought, Usagi's heart skipped a bit when Mamoru squeezed her hand, strongly yet gently, and stopped their sprint._

 _The blonde-haired girl whipped sharply around, her free hand resting on her heart. They had stopped running, but the organ was still racing as a million thoughts about what could be wrong passed through her mind in a fraction of seconds. But Mamoru wasn't clenching his side anymore. His skin tone was back to normal. His eyes were pulling her in. She remembered her mother reading her fairytales when she was small. There was one about a mermaid, wishing to see the world above. To comitt that terrible crime. She wondered if her longing to touch the m an before her was also a sin. Would she drown in the sea of his eyes if she took a step closer? Would the light in his eyes burn her if she dared to reach out? Like the bold and foolish Icarus who flew towards the sun._

 _"The exit is that way.", Mamoru simply stated and their roles got reversed._

 _Now, Mamoru was the one dragging her along as they entered a tunnel with a sign that pointed towards the exit on its wall. A sign that Usagi felt a little embarrassed for missing. The truth was that she hadn't been paying attention to their surroundings. She had just wanted to get away from the monster and the weird people with weird powers and the fire. Usagi swallowed hard. She was certain that she was going to have nightmares about it for many nights. And just when she had finished accepting what had happened in that studio. It was as if misfortune had taken a liking to her and the man holding her hand tightly. She had turned into a stalker that would destroy everything around them until they got destroyed._

 _"You seem skeptical. Are you okay?", Mamoru questioned, looking at her from the corner of his eye._

 _"Oh, yes.", Usagi replied. "Just a little shaken."_

 _Mamoru stopped, Usagi somehow managing not to bump at his back. He turned around and met her eyes with a calculating look asking if he should believe her. Usagi was ready to assure him that she was really being truthful when his hand slowly and somewhat hesitantly traveled from her palm to her shoulder. The moment lasted for just a moment and then it was gone. His hand withdrew hastily and he moved away as Tsukino Kenji came running towards them with police officers, firefighters and a bunch of other people behind him._

 _They had been separated after that. They had been hastily led to the exit, while being asked a lot of questions and then Kenji had taken her away and had left immediately with Shingo. Her father had never stopped apologizing in their way for bringing them into such a dangerous place. Shingo had tried to repeatedly change his mind, but every time Kenji would look at the bandages covering his younger's child's arms and face he would begin the endless cycle again. Shingo had given up after some time and had focused solely on the sight behind the car's windows. Whatever his dad was saying, he really had enjoyed himself in that game. It wasn't as if his father had ESP or wanted for something like that to happen to them._

 _As for Usagi, she hadn't been paying attention to her family's musings. Before the large arcade had been lost from her eyes, she had only gotten a glimpse of Mamoru leaving with Satoru and Makoto. She hadn't known that she had been in there. She had only gotten more puzzled when she had seen Minako, Rei and two other men standing outside of the arcade. And now her confusion grew even more when a nasty shriek of tires alerted her to Kaito's car passing beside her father's with Ami sitting on the co-driver's seat. From the fast movements of the car Usagi could tell that Kaito was angry. She hoped that he and Ami and were going to be alright and not be involved in a car accident. Someone could get hurt. They could get hurt. Or even worse. Buffed she took another look toward the people she knew. Minako and Rei were unaccounted for. Makoto and Mamoru were chatting freely. The former was occasionally shooting Satoru some worried glances. Usagi could not blame her as she did the same from inside her father's car. The brunette was trailing a few steps behind them, his face hidden from her eye by his rich hair. Usagi could imagine that right now his facial expression wouldn't be the epitome of joy. Surely the events inside the arcade had been a shock, but Usagi felt like there was something else going on as well. That thought made her realize that for some unknown reasons Satoru had been in the studio too. And Ami and Makoto and Rei. And Kaito had been there when they got out. Was there a connection? Had Mamoru's friends anything to do with this? Usagi refused to believe it. They were his friends. She wanted them to be her friends. Somehow she knew that they would never cause harm to others. At least not willingly._

 _She wondered if the girls had come as a group and hadn't invited her. A pang of sadness overwhelmed her at the thought they had cast her out, but she pushed it away. It wasn't as if they were childhood friends or anything. They had just met a few days ago. Thinking like this was not justified at this point. Kenji pulled in outside his residence and parked his car carefully. Shingo hopped out excitedly, obviously wanting to tell his mother first about what had happened. Kenji followed him in with a long sigh, hoping that his son's description wouldn't earn him a weekly reservation on the living room's house. Usagi closed the front door before making her way to her room. She opened the door and stared at it before stepping on the soft carpet. It somehow felt empty to her. Like there was something missing from the picture. Was really something so significant missing from her everyday life?_

* * *

She was walking behind him. His back was tensed. His hands were buried deep inside his jean's pockets. He didn't want her to walk beside him just like the other day. And he had every right to do so.

 _"..got Mamoru and Usagi killed.."_

 _It was true. It pained him, but it was true. He had just been standing there like a coward unable to do anything. Powers or no powers. Memories or no memories. It didn't matter. He should have done something. He should have moved, but instead he froze. He had been scared. But Kaito had been scared too. Powers and memories aside, he had dashed forward at the risk of his own life. He had been angry then and he was angry now. His eyes were blazing like that night. He wondered if his brother's eyes would be like that if his memories had been returned to him. Probably no. Kaito was always the one to address things logically and with deep thinking. He would have spoken his mind alright. But not like this. Not like speaking to a complete stranger. An enemy, if you'd like._

 _"Well?! What do you have to say for yourself?!", Kaito shouted, gripping Kagari by his uniform. "How much time did you spent being a coward, huh?! They could have been much worse if I hadn't.."_

 _"Kaito, that's enough.", Satoru professed, stepping forward and separating them._

 _"Satoru? ", Kaito blinked in confusion. "When did you.. Why are you dressed like this? Who are those people?"_

 _"Apollo.", Yukio pronounced and the white feline nodded in response despite Kaito's lost expression._

 _"It's time you remembered everything." Apollo declared and his crescent mark shone with power. At the time he, Artemis and Luna had passed in Elysion they had found out that their powers were slowly upgrading. That had caused them to believe that at some point their powers were going to reach the level they had back in the past. And everyone else's as well. But right now the important thing was that Apollo could not only return Kaito's memories, but also inform him about everything that had happened in his absence. Just like he had done when he had found Kagari and Yukio arguing it out in an alley at some insignificant neighborhood near the Juuban Shopping district._

 _Kaito felt like he was sitting in a train as a spectator watching the world pass behind the glass windows. But the images weren't blurry or strictly organized in straight lines of white, red and were clear as the bluest sky in a summer morning. Sharp like the finest of swords. A lot of feelings overwhelmed him. First, there was a mix of nostalgia and sadness with a little bit of relief for their victory pushed inside the pot for good measure. And then surprise. And disbelief and shock and worry. About Mamoru and Usagi. About the new threat. A new threat. A threat that Satoru had been fighting. He had watched the news alright. Satoru and the Senshi had been fighting the threat. The threat was being fought by the Senshi and Satoru. He had known. Ami had known. They all had known. And they had willingly kept_ _him, Yukio and Kagari out of it._

 _Apollo finished with his job and Kaito clenched his fists at his side before apprehending the group around him. He looked at the three felines first. Worry and symphathy were written all over Luna's face. Artemis didn't even dare to meet his gaze. Apollo was looking up at him with determined unwavering eyes. Kaito easily understood that if it happened been for the white cat, he, Kagari and Yukio would have still been clueless about_ _everything. Yukio's face seemed like it had been carved from stone. Minako was not standing beside him, he noted. Instead, she and Rei were located a little sideways, as expressionless as ever. Kagari had changed his attire at a point that Kaito hadn't been paying attention or rather wasn't able to because of Apollo's interference. They all had. Kagari was looking straight at him. The message passed between them swiftly. The discussion was going to take place elsewhere with absolute privacy and secrecy. Green eyes shifted to glance at Satoru. The brunette almost grinned, but rethought it when he noticed Kaito's deadpan expression. Ami was left for last. They stared at each other for a little while, before Kaito asked the question that was plaguing Yukio's and Kagari's minds from the moment their memories had returned._

 _"Why?", he took a shivering breath. "Why didn't you awaken us from the start?"_

 _"It was better this way, because.."_

 _"What exactly was better?!", Kaito snapped at Satoru's words._

 _"We just thought that.."_

 _"I don't care what you thought.", Kagari glared at Makoto. "Mamoru and Usagi could have died in that fire. They could have died today. You should have told us. You may have thought that it would better to leave us alone in our oh so perfect lives, but awakening us would be the right thing to do. It is our duty to protect them. It's our desire to protect them. If something had happened to Mamoru, I swear I would hav-"_

 _"Go home.", Yukio interrupted, staring at each one of them with finality._

 _"What?", Rei questioned confused._

 _"It's a simple order. I'm sure that all of you can comprehend its meaning.", Yukio exclaimed._

 _"You don't have to be so rude!", Makoto strictly reprimanded._

 _"That remains to be seen.", Yukio disclosed before starting walking away to the exit. "We will continue this discussion in calmer conditions. Don't you agree.., Minako?"_

 _"Certainly.", Minako muttered, doing a better job to conceal the hurt in her voice than her eyes. "Meet us tomorrow at the control center.", she said and followed Yukio. Kagari did the same with a somewhat hesitant Rei hot on his heels. After a long pause the other did the same. The three felines lingered there a while longer, but eventually mimicked their charges' actions._

 _Luna sighed softly as she walked behind Apollo and Artemis. The tension between the two brothers was suffocating her. They weren't talking now. But she knew that the minute they reached the center they would. And Luna was afraid of what they had to say. For this time they truly were broken._

* * *

"It's late."

No response.

"Shouldn't you be getting home?"

Nothing.

"Won't your parents be worried?"

A negative shook of the head.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

"Kaito?"

"Yes, Ami."

"What do you feel?", Ami asked, looking at him with her clear blue eyes.

"Nothing.", Kaito shrugged.

"That's not possible.", Ami noted.

"I don't know how to name it.", Kaito sighed. " So it might as well be named 'nothing'."

"Is 'nothing' a good feeling?, Ami queried.

"Not really.", Kaito said, getting up and throwing his empty can at the nearest bin.

"I see..", Ami muttered, removing some invisible sprinkles from her white flowing skirt. She got slightly startled when Kaito halted her movement and kneeled in front of her. He was looking at her with those green eyes full of this 'nothing' of his. Ami searched for hatred inside the 'nothing', but found none. She saw a hint of disappointment and her heart fluttered. He had every right to feel that way.

The kiss he gave her was soft yet passionate. It didn't last long, but it made her lean a little forward for more when he moved away. But he was already on his feet, typing something on his phone before putting it back inside his pocket. And then the car engine started and just like that he was gone.

Ami must have been just sitting there for more than half an hour before a concerned police officer had gently gripped her left shoulder and asked if she was alright or needed some kind of assistance. She had offered a small reassurance before heading for her apartment.

She was glad that it was empty. Her mother had a night shift at her hospital and her father was presenting one of his galleries in Paris. It wasn't that she didn't like her parents being around. She just wanted to spend some time alone for the time being.

Confusion overtook her as she pulled her red rolling chair close to her desk, the wheels making no sound as they traveled across the soft carpet. She hadn't expected him to kiss her. In fact, from the moment he had regained his memories she had been bracing herself for a nasty fight or worse a complete break up. In the car, she had been comprehending what she was going to say to convince him otherwise, how she was going to ask-no beg- for forgiveness and if she had the right to do all that at all. And then he had kissed her and left, effectively turning her world upside down. She had no idea what this meant. And she wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

* * *

She halted when they reached the Shrine.

He didn't .

Rei stopped herself from calling out to him. Thus, she just stood there watching him walk away from her and possibly her life once again. She had been so foolish to think that their lives would be blissful the moment he remembered. She would have felt devastated too, if she was in his shoes. Despite feeling the aura of the sacred fire, the air around her was cold and chilly. She couldn't take it anymore.

"What's this all about?!", she yelled after him, causing him to stop in his tracks with his back still turned. "I get it, you know! I get how you are feeling right now, but it's no excuse of giving me the cold shoulder! Admit it! If our roles have been reversed, you would have done the same."

"No..", Kagari denied in an almost whisper, lifting his head up to face the dark sky above. "Because we could have died that day, Rei. Our friends could have died. And I am not the one to play with life and death like they are nothing."

This time Rei didn't stop him. She hadn't seen his face, but his voice had carried a sadness that she couldn't quite place. He had been looking up at the sky, but Rei had felt like he was seeing something entirely different than the stars and moon. A fact which reminded her that she didn't know him at all. She knew his past life, his personality, his powers, his likes and dislikes. But the past he had lived through in this lifetime she had no idea of. It seemed that at the end of the day she didn't know him, neither his brothers, neither her sisters and not even Serenity herself.

Kagari's mobile phone beeped with a new message the moment he stepped on his threshold. The light of the screen illuminated the hallway before Kagari turned on the lights and headed to the kitchen. The light sound the chair made when he pulled it away from the table filled the empty house. His parents often worked late after all. But there had been a time when his house hadn't been so empty. As he had predicted, Kaito had texted him.

 _ **Can you talk?**_

 _ **Yeah.. you?**_

 _ **I wouldn't be texting you if I couldn't.**_

 _ **True enough.**_

 _ **I am not taking back what I said earlier.**_

 _ **I know.**_

 _ **Why did you hesitate? Don't try to deny it.**_

 _ **I won't.**_

 _ **Then what is it?**_

 _ **Something similar has happened before.**_

 _ **?**_

 _ **Well, it all started out like this..**_

 _It had been just for ten minutes._

 _The small convenience store was located a few houses away from his own._

 _His mother wanted some peppers for the food and the only thing Kagari needed to do was watch._

 _Just stand there for ten minutes and look over the frying pan with the sausages. Nothing more. Nothing less._

 _But however much a fourteen year old boy was keen on cooking, simply watching reddish lines seemingly melting in the oil in a hot summer's day wasn't his favorite activity._

 _But his mother had told him so and he simply had to oblige. And oblige, he did. For a whole of three minutes he succeeded, but then his boredom got over him. It wasn't as if he strayed too far away. He opened the kitchen's door widely and stepped into the garden, allowing the currents of the morning refreshing air to blow in his face. Every now and then he would glimpse behind him and take a look at the object of his duty. It was in the few seconds that the food was left unattended that it occurred._

 _Yamamoto Chiruka was a curious six year old, all ginger braids and light green eyes. She was playful and full of dreams as a small child should be. She wanted to be a racer and a sailor and a skier and many more. But today she wanted to be like her mother. A chef. She was climbing up on a chair when Kagari turned around for his next glimpse. His sister though young wasn't clueless. She knew that she shouldn't touch anything that had to do with fire. And Kagari knew that she wouldn't. They both knew the rules for when their parents were absent by heart. Thus, he opted for leaning in the doorway and silently watching his little sister stare at the contexts of the pan like a professional judge. He couldn't help but smile at himself when she pouted in deep thought and concentration._

 _''Something smells really bad in here!'', Chiruka proclaimed, turning to her elder brother._

 _''I don't smell anything, Ruka.'', Kagari shrugged, sniffing the air._

 _''Silence! it's your fault for opening this door.'', Chiruka disclosed. ''Close it already. This stink keeps me distracted from my business.''_

 _"But we will die from the heat!", Kagari scowled._

 _"If you don't do it, I'll tell mum about those weird magazines you are keeping under your bed.", Chiruka sing-sang with a smile._

 _"Fine, fine! I'm closing it!", Kagari exclaimed defeated and stepped outside once again. He grabbed the white handle with more force than necessary and proceeded to pull the door close. He was halfway through with his task when it happened._

 _He didn't understand how or why. One moment he was standing there closing the door and the other one he was lying on top of it the garden's house. His chest was hurting and his back felt like a wildfire. He supported himself on his hands and was terrified to see a trail of blood falling down from his back and all the way to the green grass, quickly staining it red._

 _But what terrified him most was the sight he witnessed when he turned around. His house was set aflame. The embers were hungrily eating at the wood. It was then that it dawned on him that his sister was still in there. His injuries were minor. He could run and save her and yet he had froze. He had simply froze on his knees, just staring ahead with eyes that reflected the dancing flames. He wasn't afraid. The fire had always been something dear to him. It was just that it was the first time that he felt intimidated by it. The first time he understood that fire could create as easy as it could destroy._

 _He barely noticed his mother kneeling on the ground and shaking his shoulders with fear and dread in her eyes. He barely heard the sirens of the firefighters approaching his house, much faster than normal._

 _And the next day all his back was bandaged with white, smooth cloth. And his mother was crying. And his father was holding her tightly, his chest shaking with muffled sobs. And Kagari was dressed in complete black, his eyes blurry and red. And in front of them her grave was adorned with a thousand flowers. And behind them the quests were starting to depart silently and with saddened faces, some more than others._

 _His mother was gripping his hand tightly as they followed them. Kagari could care less about it. In his state he couldn't even see clearly where he was stepping. He didn't have the heart to apologize when he accidentally bumped into someone. But whenever he was visiting his parents, Mamoru wasn't in the mood either._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7: Resolutions**

''So, let me get this straight. We abandoned all the fun we were having while looking over the other worlds for coming here to watch this pathetic rain of death?''

''Why do you have to turn everything so grim?''

''It's the truth. Trees are planted. Trees grow with leaves. Leaves fall. And leaves die. This all there is to it.''

''Come on, don't tell me you don't see the beauty of this sight?''

''I never liked pink. But if they were black..''

''Aw, you are impossible!''

''I'll take that as a compliment, thank you very much. Anyway, we weren't included in their pack of memories, right?''

''Nope, I erased everything the day after Metalia fell.''

''So, I was thinking that this is a chance to change our names again.'', Emery elaborated, sifting on her spot against a tree trunk to glance up at her friend.

''Got bored of them again?'', Eva huffed, placing a hand on her hip.

''They are old-fashioned.'', Emery responded. ''Besides, what if they trigger their memories. It will be troublesome, won't it?''

''That won't happen.'', Eva flatly stated. ''But change is good. Most of the time.''

''Great!'', Emery beamed. ''Now, what to choose, what to choose, what to choose..''

''Hana.'', Eva suddenly pronounced.

''Huh?'', Emery raised an eyebrow in question.

''You be Hana.'', Eva specified. ''Now you choose for me.''

''Hana means flower.'', the newly-named girl pondered. ''Are you choosing this based on our location?''

''I needed something to work with.'', Eva shrugged.

''Okay, then. Then your name will be.. Haruki.'', Hana decided.

''Springtime tree?'', Haruki smirked.

''Yeah, for some reason I feel like we are Indians right now.'', Hana snorted.

''Hm, I will keep this in mind next time you het bored of our names.'', Haruki smirked.

''I'd rather die than be named after an animal.'', Hana declared with a snort.

''You are right.'', Haruki smiled. ''The animals would be insulted.''

''And it will be the last thing they ever do.'', Hana remarked.

''You are turning grim again.'', Haruki observed.

''So what? He is grim too.'', Hana pointed out, gesturing with her head to their left. Satoru was lying under a tree, his hands serving as a makeshift pillow for his head. His brown hair was mingling with the soft grass and his eyes were glued to the sky above.

"He is speaking with the stars. ", Haruki commented with certainty.

"The answers are not up there, but down here. ", Hana murmured. "He should speak with them, not them. "

"It will happen in due time.", Haruki sighed.

"We need new appearances to match our new names. ", Hana changed the subject.

"The girls are going to arrive soon. ", Haruki proclaimed. ''Let's discuss about this on the way out of here. "

"As long as we do.", Hana retorted with a shrug, closing her eyes as a small breeze caressed her face.

It didn't take long for the breeze to transform into a strong wind. The pink cherry blossoms that had fallen from the trees seemingly came to life and rose slowly into the air, circling around and around faster and faster. The pink whirlwind that was created didn't go unnoticed by the visitors of the park. Even Satoru took his eyes from the sky and moved his head to the side to inspect the source of the commotion. The pink petals stopped moving. They froze and scattered on the grass once again. Satoru narrowed his eyes at the spot. He could swear that there had been someone sitting there a few moments ago. He knew perfectly well that the stars lied when he asked. He was grateful for it though. A lie from them meant that there had been no danger. And Satoru didn't want any more problems to deal with at that moment of his life.

* * *

Makoto took a deep breath as she entered the park where the cherry blossom viewing was taking place. The sight of the pink petals falling so harmoniously was a real feast for the eyes to see. This event was very popular every year. She could swear that all Japan's population had shown up for it.

Schools always attended it as an activity and thus here she was with Haruna as the teacher responsible for her. She was glad that they were allowed to do whatever they wanted as long as they stayed in the park. She had left Usagi with Ami and Rei (who also had come with her school) and was now searching for her date.

She finally spotted him lying under a tree. A devious smile spread across her face and she jogged up to him silently. His eyes were close as if asleep, but Makoto didn't care as she set her precious basket down. Slowly she sat beside him and pecked him quickly on the cheek. Satoru opened one eye in response and grinned. Makoto frowned. He had sensed her presence. His smile faded. It wasn't a big deal to Makoto. It was a fake smile, just like the day before.

 _Makoto watched as Mamoru entered the building he resided in and disappeared behind its closed front door. They hadn't talked much on the way. They all had been lost in their own thoughts. Mamoru had been troubled and still was. Makoto could tell from a thousand miles away. The way his shoulders would slump as he walked, his faraway, lost gaze, his overly stretched smile as he waved a good night._

 _Satoru was in no better condition even now. He had been walking behind Mamoru and herself all the way to the former's apartment. Makoto had expected him to say something the moment they were left alone, but he was just standing there staring at the building's closed door as if he was comprehending what would happen if he just walked up to Mamoru and told him everything. Would he miraculously remember everything? Would he believe him or think him crazy? Possibly the later. Makoto could not blame him. She had the same thoughts about Usagi after all. Thus, the brunette slipped her hand in Satoru's and waited until he was ready._

 _''I failed them.''_

 _'You didn't-''_

 _''I failed them!'', Satoru repeated with more force than before. ''And now I am paying the price.''_

 _''Price?'', Makoto queried._

 _''Gods, they didn't even talk to me.'', Satoru ranted on, passing a hand across his face. ''I am a fool. We all are. We spent all this time saying we will discuss about it. Apollo was right. There was nothing to discuss in the first place. Do you know what we have been doing? We have been wagering Mamoru's, Usagi's and the whole planet's safety upon our personal insecurities. Me and Minako should have awakened everyone without hesitation. It was so simple and now it's oh so complicated. And.. and they hate me. They have every right to hate me and distrust me and wish that I disappear. If Yukio had been the first to remember, everything would have turned out alright. Same with Kaito and Kagari. But no, I had to go and worry about the future instead of focusing on the present. I lost sight of what was happening_ in front of me.''

 _"Stop this. ", Makoto almost pleaded, grabbing his hand once again. "Don't you understand what you are doing? You are degrading yourself. And by doing so, you are degrading them too. Didn't the golden crystal choose you? Didn't it accept you? Didn't it bestow you with the duty of protecting its holder? Endymion trusted you. Mamoru trusts you. And so do your brothers. The ones who you bonded with. The ones you grew up with. They will forgive you for not waking them up. Our bonds are stronger than this. Didn't Mamoru forgive you? And Usagi will forgive me no matter if I deserve it or not. It's how they are. It's how we are. It may seem hard at the beginning, but in the end I know we will pull through this together. "_

"Are you feeling better today? ", Makoto asked, as Satoru sifted in a sitting position.

"There is no point in crying over it. ", Satoru shrugged. "Where are the others? "

"I left them with Usagi.", Makoto retorted.

"Did they say anything about..", Satoru trailed off.

"You haven't spoken to them. ", Makoto stated.

"They need space.", Satoru declared. "So? "

"Ami thinks that she and Kaito reconciled, but she isn't all that sure.", Makoto sighed, reaching for her picnic basket and starting getting out its contents.

"That was expected. ", Satoru smiled to himself. "Kaito's behavior is confusing sometimes. It's unintentional, but it happens."

"At least those two are more or less on good terms. ", Makoto muttered.

"Meaning? ", Satoru queried.

"Rei and Kagari fought.", Makoto elaborated.

"With fire? ", Satoru panicked, sitting up straight.

"Only in the spirits.", Makoto assured with a half-hearted smile.

"I wonder why.. ", Satoru thought out loud.

"Because Kagari is afraid of us dying.", Kaito answered, propelling himself on the grass next to Satoru and seizing one of the toasts Makoto had made earlier that day. The brunette would have shown her annoyance at the somewhat rude gesture if she hadn't been overwhelmed with shock. Exactly like Satoru.

"Wha.. what are you doing here? ", Satoru managed to stutter after a bit of silence.

"Am I not welcome? ", Kaito froze in midbite, hating that a small part of himself was dreading for a positive answer. A fact that Satoru did not miss, perfectly reflected in his brother's eyes.

"That's not it. ", Satoru shook his head, his hair flaying carelessly with the motion. ''How did you know we would be here?''

''My resources are trustworthy.'', Kaito replied, munching down the last bit of his treat.

''You asked Mamoru, didn't you?'', Makoto hypothesized.

''As I said 'trustworthy'.'', Kaito emphasized. ''It felt a little weird though. Talking to him now that I remember. Anyway, he said he might join us here later.''

''I see.'', Satoru murmured in thought. ''Any news from Yukio?''

''Not from me at least.'', Kaito answered, crooking his head to look at Makoto.

''How would I know where your leader is?'', Makoto queried with a roll of her eyes.

''Didn't Venus.. Minako.. no, Mina.. Ahh! So many names! Didn't she tell you anything?''

''I haven't seen her since yesterday.'', Makoto confessed.

''What are the odds of them being together?'', Satoru questioned.

''Equal to the ones that say they aren't.'', Kaito sighed, his two companions echoing his action.

''So, what's the problem?'', Satoru asked after a bit of silence, turning to face Kaito.

''How did you know?'', Kaito gasped.

''You came here and the first thing you did was eat. You always eat when you are anxious. Also, you didn't ask Makoto if you could eat from her food or even complimented her or thanked her for it afterwards, which is very unusual for you and lastly your behavior. You keep switching from serious and dreadful to a happy go lucky personality, which means you are trying to hide how you really feel. I suspect it has to do with Ami since you chose to sit with us than go with her. So, spit out because you are starting to get on my nerves.'', Satoru finished his explanation.

''You are right. It's Ami.'', Kaito affirmed.

''But I thought you guys were alright.'', Makoto intercepted.

''We are. At least I want us to be.'', Kaito explained. ''But I am not sure if I should talk to Mina first. And she doesn't even know it.''

''She doesn't know what?'', Makoto inquired confused.

''Well, you know how my father owns a large company.'', Kaito began and continued when the couple nodded. Of course they knew. Only a person living under a rock wouldn't know Kaito's father. ''Mina's father is one of his highest-ranking employees. I have met him before. He is very knowledgeable, but ten times greedy and sly. Not that it matters to my dad since he is doing his job with perfect scores. Anyhow, the point is that the other day they were talking about how he has a daughter and about how my dad has me and then Mina's father obviously accidentally found it appropriate to observe this little, tiny fact of me and Mina being almost at the same age. And how beneficial would it be for everyone and especially for the company if the chairman's successor had more influence by marrying one of the CEO'S daughters.''

''M.. m.. marrying?!'', Makoto stuttered in shock.

''Engagement comes first, as I have been informed.'', Kaito exclaimed sarcastically. ''And when Mina graduates from school.. So, who should I tell first? Ami and risk destroying our relationship or Mina and risk getting killed by Yukio.''

''This is ridiculous.'', Makoto bellowed. ''Marriage equals love not wealth! You go and refuse right in your father's face right now.''

''I did.'', Kaito moaned. ''And he insisted that I would like her when I meet her, since she also has an interest in music, which I don't know if it's is true mind you. And when I foolishly revealed that I do know her, he got overjoyed and left for work. He and her father must be discussing how fortunate that is right now.''

"Talk to Ami first.", Satoru advised. "She deserves to know. Besides, Mina is going to find out sooner or later from her parents. Not to mention that Ami is in a hand's reach right now. While Mina has apparently gone MIA."

"You mean like go and talk to her now? Like this instant?", Kaito queried.

"Yep.", Satoru affirmed, standing up and pulling Kaito with him. "Go fulfill your quest and let us fulfill ours."

"Which is?", Kaito arched an eyebrow in question.

"Sitting under this tree and eating.", Makoto smirked, munching on a biscuit.

"Save me some cupcakes.", Kaito muttered as he turned to leave.

"The faster you talk to her, the more you will eat.", Makoto yelled after him. However, before he could disappear from their sight, Ami came from behind a tree in a rush and blocked Kaito's way.

"Ami! ", Kaito gasped in surprise, but quickly regained his composure. ''I need to te-"

"Not now! ", Ami interrupted. "There is a cardian in the park."

"Is Usagi safe? ", Makoto asked, as she and Satoru came to stand beside Kaito.

"Don't worry, she is safe. Some people had their energy drained and the place is filling with police officers and paramedics. They got Usagi out, but me and Rei managed to avoid it somehow. She went ahead to find the cardian."

"Then we should go too. We mustn't leave her to deal with this alone.", Kaito urged, as he summoned his power for the first time since what seemed like forever.

It felt a little foreign to him in the beginning, like opening an old dusty book or starting up a rusty engine, but soon the familiar feeling of raw energy passed through his veins and he welcomed it. Soon enough four warriors were standing in the clearing, determined to carry out their duty more than they were before. Because now, even if a little divided, their team was complete. And together they wouldn't fail to protect what was important to them.

* * *

It was late in the morning. The sun was hot. Birds were calling to each other. The bees were already at work., striving to please their Queen. Children were laughing in the distance. The air smelled of earth and flowers. Such a graceful fragrance it was. The wind picked up a little. The curtains were pushed gently upwards, as if dancing in a silent rhapsody. Cherry blossom petals were invited inside the room. The rays of the sun played on her eyelids. She stirred from her slumber. She blinked more than one time to get the sleep out of her eyes and slowly rose on the bed, the covers still covering her feet.

Minako examined the room she was currently in with sleepy eyes. The room that wasn't hers. It was big, smaller than hers, but spacious nevertheless. It felt homey, cozy, and inviting. The roof was wooden. Not that old wood that can collapse on you any time, but the one that speaks of forests and nature when you look up at it. The bed she was sitting on was soft, located an inch away from the blue-curtained window. There was a long, black desk in front of it, surrounded by various shelves that hang from the milky white wall in a messy pattern. One was reaching for the ceiling, another was mingling in the middle and so on. They were filled with books and music and photo albums here and there. Minako's eyes instinctively searched for a shelf solely dedicated to manga and almost sighed in desperation when she found none. Her attention was drawn to the comfy-looking miniature of a living room that had been set up in a corner. The armchair was overstuffed with pillows, the wall closet located a little further away was carved with small, irregular shapes, the small, low table was spotless but the leather sofa seemed a little bit wrinkled in some places.

And it was then that it hit her. Last night she and Yukio had left together from that forsaken arcade, entrusting Mamoru in the capable hands of Makoto and Satoru. They had walked in silence at first, two ghosts passing through the crowds. She had left him space to think and put his mind in order. But she hadn't expected him to speak with another language except of the one that acquires words. The only thing he needed to do it was place a hand on her cheek and she had melted into his touch. She had tiptoed on her heels and kissed him on the lips, all the longing and sadness of their past life expressing itself with it. And he had kissed her back and pulled her closer until they couldn't breath anymore. It was then that they had talked. About them. Their enemies. Their situation. Their lives. About everything. Of course, those hadn't been topics to be discussed in places where stray ears could be lurking at every corner. So, they had ended up in his house. Hers was never an option after all. They had sat at the living room and drunk tea. It was jasmine. Minako had thought that it tasted nice because he had made it. She had never been fond of the refreshment anyway. She must have fallen asleep at some point and he must have carried her all the way up here. First few hours of their reunion and she had already made him sleep on the couch.

Minako cupped her face in her hands in embarrassment and took a deep breath to decrease her body's suddenly rising temperature. A distant noise was heard beyond the closed door of the bedroom. She made the bed as best as she could before following the sound into the kitchen. The small T.V. was open, a presenter gossiping about this and that. Yukio was focused on the counter. The knife twirled once in his hands before chopping down a pepper in a matter of seconds. He was wearing blue jeans and an ivory shirt. His sleeves were pulled up to his elbows and Minako could see a black tattoo decorating the lower part of his arm. She crooked her head in confusion at the design. It seemed like an altered version of the yin and yang symbol surrounded by characters that she didn't understand. Maybe an ancient language? The words left her mouth before she knew it.

''What's that weird tattoo on your forearm?''

Yukio turned to look at her, an eyebrow raised. Minako noted that he didn't seem startled by her presence. He knew that she had been standing there. It was the question that had surprised him. The surprise only stayed in his face for a few moments and got replaced by a light chuckle, as he stopped preparing whatever he was cooking and glanced at his tattoo.

"It was the symbol of my House.", he revealed, voice soft and sweet, as if he was talking about a person.

"Pardon me? ", Minako asked, still not understanding.

"The Silver Millennium.. It consisted of many planets united under one rule right? ", Yukio asked rhetorically. "Something similar can be said for the Earth. The Golden Throne rules the Earth, but there were four kings with less authority that watched over certain areas in the name of the High King. He couldn't be anywhere since he was stationed at Elysion. Of course he would move if the situation called for it. Anyway, my father was one of those Kings and this was the symbol of our house. ", he finished, showing her his arm.

"I remember a bit of it from the past life, but you didn't have it back then. ", Minako disclosed. "And what do those letters mean?"

"I don't know.", Yukio exclaimed. "The memories we have are incomplete after all."

"That's true.", Minako agreed. "It's better than Mamoru and Usagi though."

"They don't deserve it.", Yukio declared, returning to his cooking.

"I don't understand it at all.", Minako huffed annoyed. "There must be something that we c-"

"We are interrupting our daily schedule for breaking news.'', the loud voice of a reporter took Minako's attention. Yukio reached for the TV controller and amplified the volume, as they both focused on what the middle-aged man had to say. ''Police officers and ambulances are currently surrounding one of Japan's most popular destinations for cherry blossom viewing. Some civilians have passed out under mysterious circumstances and the area is being quickly evacuated. It is believed that terr-''

Minako and Yukio had heard enough. The latter turned off the T.V. in a rush and they both ran out of the house, planning to transform and teleport the moment they found a suitable spot for such actions. Not a minute after their departure took place, Yukio's uncle crossed the short distance between his room and the kitchen and entered. His nephew always woke up before him so he had gotten used to the sounds of cooking and the television playing. But this time the noise had been doubled and thus he had ended up waking up earlier than usual. He was perplexed to say the least when he was met with an empty kitchen, a silent television and an unfinished recipe. One. His nephew never left without leaving a note. Two. He usually abandoned the television open for him to hear and get up on time for work. Three. He never ever left the kitchen in such a disarray. Those three factors guided the older member of the Shirai household into a grim conclusion. Whatever had caused his nephew to leave in such short notice, could only mean trouble. Shirai Satoru could only hope that it wouldn't be something that his boy couldn't handle and that he wouldn't go and handle it alone.

* * *

''I can sense an evil aura around here.'', Sailor Mars muttered to herself as she walked among the cherry trees. Everything was silent. No people. No animals. Not even wind. The petals, though pink, seemed somehow duller than before. The situation was freaking her out. It was as if she was walking in some kind of haunted forest from a horror movie, monsters and everything included. She kept her senses and reflexes sharp. Her violet eyes scanned her surroundings carefully. But nothing happened. The silence stretched and stretched without end and Rei found herself wishing for the cardian to come out and attack her already. A thought she regretted when a twig snapped behind her. Turning on her heels and with fire in her hands, she twirled around and charged blindly at her pursuer. Kagari caught her hand in the last minute, the fire barely licking his face.

''What's gotten into you?!'', Kagari asked with mild anointment, releasing her hand.

''I.. I thought you were the enemy.'', Rei explained, looking anywhere but him. ''How did you know that there was trouble?''

''It's all over the news.'', Kagari retorted. ''An overly populated place. A strange illness. One can put two and two together. Well, I want really sure before I came here. But I have a strong feeling that we are being watched. From everywhere.''

''Me too.'', Rei agreed warily.

''No wonder you attacked me.'', Kagari smirked.

''Don't make fun of me.'', Rei demanded.

''I'm not.'', Kagari objected. ''In your shoes I would have done the s-.''

A rustling was heard from some nearby bushes and the fire surged before the one responsible could come into view. Kaito yelped at the sudden whirlwind wind of fire that appeared suddenly before him. Ami raced in front of him and with one of her attacks thick steam covered the area they were in. They all coughed as it entered their lungs and clouded their vision of each other.

''What do you think you are doing?!'', Satoru asked between cuffs, all the while holding Makoto's wrist so he would know that she was still beside him.

''Yeah, I almost became barbecue.'', Kaito agreed, squinting to see the two silhouettes a few yards away from him and Ami.

''Sorry.'', Rei and Kagari muttered in unison.

''We thought that you were the enemy.'', Kagari finished.

''Talk about Déjà vu.'', Rei sighed.

''Guys, my scanners are picking up an alien energy signal.'', Ami announced, looking at the data on her computer.

''from where?'', Makoto asked, her antenna rising from its resting place and blazing with electricity.

''Everywhere!'', Ami gasped, trying to find the source.

''Stay on alert.'', Satoru advised. Not a moment passed after he said that and the cardian made herself visible.

The area around them became darker, the trees died and it seemed like the reality was reshaped, as if someone had created a hallucination around them. It was a blue-haired woman attached to the only tree that seemed alive. She opened her glowing red eyes and that was all it took for the procession to start. As one the six warriors screamed as their energy started being drained and stored inside the tree. It was then that Minako and Yukio arrived. Upon seeing them the cardian ventured out of the tree and charged at them head on. They barely managed to avoid being tackled to the ground by her strength. But their relief didn't last long. Her eyes blazed like blood once more and they soon found themselves in the same predicament as their friends.

Yukio hadn't fought cardians before, but he came to understand that they were as formidable as Beryl's Youma had been. Trying to escape was futile as with every passing moment his strength was being diminished more and more. He fell on his knees, gasping for air. Minako yelled something at him, but he couldn't make out the words. His vision started to blur, but he refused to give in. As if out of nowhere a figure appeared in front of him, as blurry as everything else. At first he thought that it was the cardian, but upon closer inspection he crossed that possibility out. He couldn't find out who it was exactly though. His breath got caught in his lungs. He gasped desperately for air. And then what he knew was only pitch black darkness.

* * *

Mamoru ran as he had never run before. He had watched the news. He was a person that always watched the news. When he had seen the situation in the park from the plasma screen , panic had overtook knew that Makoto's school was there. Makoto. Usagi. Ami. Satoru too. He just had to check if they were okay. He thought that the fact that he hadn't received a phone call from a hospital yet was a good sign. But Makoto wasn't answering him and neither did Ami or Satoru. And he didn't even have Usagi's number!

Turning a corner, Mamoru reached his destination. There were people around the entrance, being suppressed by the police. His blue eyes scanned the ambulances, but he found no familiar face. Where could they possibly be?!

"Mamoru! ", a voice he recognized called.

"Usagi! ", he exclaimed, running to meet with the blonde midway. She was shaking and her eyes were stained red. "What happened? "

"I don't know. ", Usagi shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "We were having such a good time and then people started fainting all of a sudden."

"Where are the others? ", Mamoru queried, fearing the answer.

"I don't know. ", Usagi replied. "We got separated and a lost them. I saw Rei heading deeper inside the park before the police escorted me outside, so I think that they might be still inside. "

"Rei.. Ah, the black-haired one. ", Mamoru reminded himself. "But why would they go further inside if it's dangerous? "

"Why is it dangerous in the first place?", Usagi wondered out loud. "Everywhere we go something bad happens. "

"Yeah, I have noticed too. ", Mamoru sighed. "Maybe we should get to the bottom of this. "

"What do you mean? ", Usagi inquired.

"We should investigate. ", Mamoru elaborated. "Just think about it. Those.. incidents started happening out of nowhere. Something started them. "

"Terrorists? ", Usagi guessed.

"I don't think so. ", Mamoru proclaimed. "If the ones responsible were terrorists, they would have made their goals known. "

"Well, it all started back when.."

"..when the comet fell. ", Mamoru finished for her.

"And the next day.. ", Usagi trailed off.

"..the attacks started. I know. ", Mamoru professed.

"No, not that. ", Usagi objected. "It was the day when Seijuro and Natsumi enrolled into my school. Those two.. They seem like good people, but there's something about them that I can't quite place. "

"I know what you mean .", Mamoru agreed. "Actually now that you mention it, they are always present before the attack and when it starts they vanish. "

"Do you think that they have something to do with this? What if someone is blackmailing them? ", Usagi asked.

"One more reason to get to the bottom of this.", Mamoru remarked.

"So, we are not telling the others. ", Usagi stated unsure.

"They have suffered much because of us already. ", Mamoru conceited. "We shouldn't involve them more. "

"I understand. ", Usagi declared, determined. " I don't care how dangerous this is. I will find out the truth in order to save our friends and the other people from this madness!"

"And I will be with you every step of the way. "


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8: Fade into yesterday**

It took some time for Yukio to open his eyes. The birds sang for him to wake. There was something coarse and fragrant beneath him. An invitation to not get up, but just lie there all day instead. Grass? It had to be grass. Yukio's suspicion was proven correct when he sat upright and surveyed his surroundings. Green waves stretching everywhere with interruptions of orange and pale pink that signified the existence of few wildflowers in the meadow. There was a river up ahead, slithering like a blue, calm snake. It brought a refreshing aura to the whole scenery. The birds had stopped singing. The gentle dance of the crystalline water was breaking the haunting silence.

''Where are we?''

Yukio didn't start at the voice. His silvery eyes lingered a bit more on the peaceful river, before he glanced behind him to comfort the questioner. Satoru was already standing, hands crossed in front of his chest and thoughtful eyes scanning the horizon. His brown mass of hair was playing in the light breeze. He frowned, frustration crossing over his sharp features. The queries that were running around his mind weren't easy ones to answer. Kaito's eyes were darting around as if trying to find or confirm something. Kagari, the one that had voiced the question they all had, was busy brushing some specks of soil from his pants.

''Did we defeat the cardian?'', Kagari asked as Yukio stood up to get a better view of their surroundings.

''If so, where are the girls?'', Satoru inquired.

'More importantly, where are _we_?'', Yukio questioned, turning fully toward them.

''Guys.'', Kaito breathed. ''I think this is Elysion.''

''Elysion?! So, Helios must have brought us here.'', Satoru concluded.

Kagari straightened, lips forming an impatient scowl. ''Then where is he?''

''He had always been the mysterious type.'', Kaito shrugged. ''He will probably be here any minute now.''

''There's someone near the river. But I don't think it's Helios.'', Kagari noted, squinting to see the figure more clearly despite the sun rays evading his vision. They all turned their gazes toward the lone figure standing at the riverbank. Kagari felt more than saw the identity of the stranger. ''Endymion?'', he breathed and immediately sprinted toward the man, gaining the attention of his friends who didn't hesitate on following him.

It seemed unbelievable to them that Endymion, that Mamoru, would be here with them. Last time they had checked he didn't remember anything of the past life. But they still held on the hope that this wasn't some kind of blissful dream or illusion. Maybe his memories have returned. Maybe Helios had found a way to return them. Kagari was a mere inch away from him now. He stretched his hand to touch his shoulder, the ancient name ready on his lips, when a flash of light interrupted him. Mamoru disappeared in the explosion along with the green meadow and the peaceful river.

And they found themselves in a vast room inside a very familiar palace. Elysion had been the capital of Earth back then. The most rich and prosperous of all cities. Kaito remembered tracing the paintings on the walls with his eyes, each one presenting a different legend to the observer. He recalled the magnificent statues that lined up the corridor to the throne room. Stone soldiers ready to defend the country. Marble goddesses of unrivaled beauty sending their blessings. Lions that looked ready to pounce at the intruder. Kagari had broken one of those once. It hadn't attacked. But Yukio had. Their leader pushed the doors to the throne room open. The very place they had formally swore loyalty to their beloved prince welcomed them.

The marble floor was polished and reflected their forms perfectly, as they walked forward.

 _Kunzite kneeling on the carpet, his head bowed respectfully._

The carpet in the color of royal red was as soft and warm as they remembered it.

 _Nephrite flicking his gaze above as Kunzite completed his vows._

The ceiling was still made of glass, but now no stars could be seen sending their light to the world.

 _Jadeite's grin as he took his queue after Nephrite. One that Endymion gladly returned, eyes blazing with joy._

The majestic throne was intact too.

 _The festive banners burning into ashes. A maid crying over a dying soldier, his sword stained with blood as was his chest. A swing of his sword and the woman's cries ceased._

Kaito stepped back, holding his head like he was afraid it would fall off.

"We destroyed this place..", he muttered, tears brimming at the edges of his eyes.

"Kaito!", Kagari called, approaching him.

"It was you!", Kaito stated, poking a finger at his chest, dark laughter erupting from his throat. "It was you who put the fire. In the city. And the palace. And in everything. And I killed and killed. And I.. I liked it. And then we found the King. And he asked about his son, about Endymion. And Kunzite drew his sword. And it was over. Just like this. And Mamoru.. his parents are.. He would hate us if he knew the real extent of our crimes! We were supposed to protect him, but it seems that we don't even trust each other anymore. He would be safer if we distanced ourselves. If we simply weren't around.''

"So, this is the lowly reason you found in order to neglect your duty."

The unknown voice's words rang through the empty palace like a hurricane spreading malice and disaster. Its owner didn't make an appearance even when the remains of his statement lingered only in the minds of the Shitennou. "Who are you?", Kunzite demanded. "Show yourself!"

"Don't you want to protect him anymore?"

"Of course we do and we will!", Kagari declared.

"Do you speak only for yourself or for your brothers as well?"

"Of course they agr-"

"But we have caused him so much suffering!", Kaito intercepted. "So many things happened to him. Maybe if someone else was in our position, they would have done better."

"You dare suggest that my decisions were false?!", the voice shouted, the booming sound ringing so much that the Shittennou had to cover their ears. A golden sphere appeared, looming in front of them, pulsing with powerful energy. They shielded their eyes as gold light overtook everything. When they opened them, he was already standing before them. Tall form. Royal clothes. Midnight hair. The golden circlet he used to wear while attending balls, meetings and similar public activities. But it still wasn't their prince. Yukio could see it in his golden eyes. They were hard, cold, judging. Yukio had seen his prince angry before. He had seen his eyes turning into golden steel. He had sensed his aura being overwhelmed with raw power. But no matter how hard he tried his prince could never appear so disinterest. There was always a small glimmer of blue gentleness inside the angry storm of gold. A glimmer that now was nowhere to be seen.

And thus the question remained. "Who are you?", Yukio almost hissed, ready to take on the one that had dared to take his master's form. No objection was heard for the query. What Shitennou would they be if they couldn't recognise their liege?

"Your bonds are wavering. You won't protect anything like this. Not even yourselves. I apologise for the appearance. It has disturbed you, hasn't it? But I don't have a corporeal form. This is just a mere vision."

"So, this isn't Elysion.", Kaito muttered.

"You are correct. Your bodies are still being drained from their energy. Only your mind has drifted here. You have to solve your differences in order to win without the aid of the prince and princess. Your powers were on a different level in the past. With time they will return to it, but we do not have such a luxury."

"Who are you?", Yukio insisted a lot calmer now.

"I am.. No, it's not the right time."

Satoru raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? What 'time' are you speaking of.''

"If you break the barrier that has grown to separate you, I will extend your abilities. But you have to be quick. You have to protect Master and his planet."

"Hold on! What barrier?", Kagari asked, but with a flash of gold they were alone on the hill once again.

"He called Endymion master.. ", Kunzite murmured. "How can this be? "

"It can.", Kaito disclosed. "From what I gathered, Mamoru and the crystal are less connected now. It goes for Usagi as well. I think this was the spirit of the Golden Crystal talking to us.''

"Do you want me to believe that the crystals went on some kind of vacation?", Kagari murmured.

"We have seen weirder things happen. In both lives. In fact, I can't decide which comes on top.", Kaito exclaimed.

''Point taken.", Kagari shrugged. "And what does your genius mind has to say about the barrier thingy?"

"That's the most obvious part!", Satoru scolded. "How can you not understand it?"

He was rewarded with three blank looks.

"It's because you three are rightfully angry with me for not awakening you and I can't stop feeling guilty about it.", Satoru elaborated. "I'm sorry. Is asking for forgiveness really that much?"

The three shared a look before offering a reply.

"Don't worry about it, brother.", Yukio smiled, patting Satoru's shoulder lightly. "As far as I'm concerned we are fine.", he continued, turning his head to glance at Kaito and Kagari.

"We just needed some time.", Kagari agreed. "I probably messed up with Rei too yesterday, but I was too frustrated to think straight. I have to fix things with her soon.''

"I have something to confess too. ", Kaito stated, swallowing hard. "Yukio, listen. Me and Mina .. Mina and I.. I mean our families are.. "

"Arranging a marriage.'', Yukio finished for him.

''You knew?!'', Kaito gasped.

''They told Mina the day before yesterday and she told me at my house last night.'', Yukio explained. ''I know that it wasn't your intention. We will figure something out.''

''That was surprisingly easy.'', Kaito murmured. ''I thought you were going to beat me to death.''

''Well, that's one way to solve the problem.'', Satoru smirked.

''S- stop joking around!'', Kaito demanded.

''So, what did you and Minako were up to last night, huh?'', Kagari asked. ''You know she is underage, you filthy pervert.''

''Don't be absurd. I would never do something so lowly.'', Yukio huffed somehow managing to not lose his composure even when his friends started chuckling at the flush that passed over his cheeks.

''Okay, I think it's time for us to go back.'', Satoru advised. ''We can't be living in a dream world forever.''

''Yeah, I'm worried about the girls.'', Kaito added. ''Besides, we have a prince to watch over.''

''Do you remember the first time we all gathered together?'', Kagari inquired.

''It feels like yesterday.'', Satoru commented.

''Yukio had already been in Endy's service for a few days when we arrived.'', Kaito reminisced.

''At first I thought that he had been a statue.'', Kagari snickered.

''My first impression of you wasn't quite the opposite, since you destroyed a whole row of valuable statues in one evening.'', Yukio commented.

''Let's not go back to those stuff.'', Kagari pleaded sheepishly.

''If it hadn't been for Endy you would have been kicked out of the palace.'', Kaito professed.

''What a shame to your family that would have been.'', Satoru remarked.

''You are one to talk!'', Kagari retorted. ''You spent a whole week reading books in a corner, before Endy all but ordered you not to be so uptight. And the only thing you were doing was stargazing. At least I was talking to him!''

''In the end it was Endymion that brought us really together.'', Yukio chuckled.

''Ah, you are talking about _that_ one.'', Satoru smiled.

''Oh, please don't.'', Kaito pleaded. ''I thought I was going to have a heart attack that day.''

''And yet here you are.'', Kagari sighed.

''I wonder where we would be if Endymion hadn't been in our lives.'', Satoru thought out loud.

''I can't imagine that. Not anymore. The five of us together.. it feels natural.'', Kaito stated.

''My fellow Kings.'', Yukio began. ''It's time we return to the real world.''

Upon their leader's declaration, the three followed his example and closed their eyes in concentration. They focused on their bonds, their ties, their vows, on the destination they wanted to end up to. On the goals they wanted to achieve. On the ones they wanted to protect. And as promised the golden light bathed them in its brilliance and guided them safely to the place they were needed.

* * *

 _It was a hot midsummer afternoon. The sky was crystal clear, the sun it's only decoration. It was a blazing eye that seemed to had driven every cloud away from its fiery nature. It was tempting you to dive into a lake and stay there until the stars were due to come out. Five tired horses approached one of the natural water springs surrounding the beauteous capital of Elysion, a magnificent canyon spreading below them. The riders, having dished their formal clothes for something more travel friendly, dismounted and allowed their horses to drink freely from the blue, refreshing waters. They were on patrol, secret very important patrol, but that didn't mean their horses had to die because of it. The horse master was deadlier than a military commander when it came to his children, as he often referred to his horses. As expected of the royal palace. The King was rather picky with his choices, but was rarely miscalculating them. That's why the group of five guards had every faith that the four new additions to the royal court would eventually fit perfectly to the palace just like they had._

* * *

 _To his dismay he hadn't arrived alone. Another carriage had stopped beside his own. Another boy his age had stepped out of it. As they followed their guide, he wondered if his parents had forced him to join the prince's company too._

 _"Chosen by the golden prince himself!"_

 _"Would you ever have expected something less than that from a member of my family?"_

 _When the envelope with the royal seal on it had reached his household, his parents had not wasted a minute and organized a luxurious gathering right then and there. And they had bragged and bragged and bragged about their perfect son who they so much loved and whose achievements were a result of their tenacious support and assistance. The son who they had resented until that moment, because he wasn't the strong-looking type, like his older brother, but a weak child who enjoyed science, literature and music. The exact opposite of the one walking beside him. Wild hair. Muscled chest. Tall for his age. If the other two were like that, he would become the laughing stock of the palace. Good thing that he was planning to ask the prince for a royal pardon. Hopefully, he would be easy to deal with. Some well-placed and logical arguments in combination with some sweet flatteries and he would be out of this mess in the blink of an eye._

 _"This is as far as I can go."_

 _Zoisite jerked his head up, as their guide turned his attention to them. He hadn't introduced himself, but Zoisite could easily tell from his clothing that he was a priest. And a high standard one, judging from his aura._

 _"Make sure that you make the right decisions in there."_

 _Zoisite felt uneasy, when the priest's golden eyes fell on him. It was as if he knew what he was thinking. But that was impossible. He had trained himself to expand his senses, so he would have known if the priest had read his mind. Besides, such actions were prohibited by the law if they were performed without both parties' consent. He couldn't imagine a priest of the Golden Palace committing such crimes. Of course corruption among people with authority and power was more than common, but the Golden Palace had a good reputation regarding this matter. But that didn't change the fact that he didn't want to be a bodyguard because an old relic had popped up and declared that he was a chosen one._

 _The boy next to him pushed the double doors in front of them open and Zoisite hoped that the prince wouldn't have their heads for stepping into his quarters so rudely. But the doors didn't reveal well-furnished rooms with rich decorations, but a sight that made Zoisite want to run all the way back to his country. It was a training room. The ceiling was rising high above them, its surface being disturbed only by the beginnings of a chandelier. Light in the colorfulness of the rainbow was filling the chamber from the thousand or so glassy windows that were designed on the upper half of the walls. The sole occupant of the room was standing out like a silver tree in a meadow of colors. He was unmistakably their leader. Tall. Board. Steely eyes. Asking him for a dismiss was clearly out of the question. He was holding two swords, their surfaces glistening in the soft morning light. Without a word he threw them towards them. Zoisite caught one of them rather clumsily and frowned at the way his companion grasped his steadily._

 _"Fight me.", the leader's voice rang out. With a flick of his wrist a black blade appeared in his hand, its hilt a mix of grey and silver. "And use your powers while doing so."_

 _Zoisite wasn't surprised that he knew about his special abilities. He must have been given access to a lot of confidential archives upon arriving at the Golden Palace. Not that it was fair having studied your opponent's capabilities before fighting them, while they knew nothing about yours. As far as Zoisite was concerned, this wasn't a war, but what was supposed to be an evaluation. However, it seemed that his so called leader was more interested in showing off than doing his job. One more reason to step away from the prince's court._

 _His companion was fast. He took off from beside him and in a matter of seconds he had descended the long flight of stairs that led to the rink and exchanged the first blow. The annoying sound of the quarrel had made Zoisite flinch, but to his surprise the simple sword hadn't found a terrible demise in the face of the one created by magic. With a closer inspection, he found out that the swords weren't really touching. There was some kind of miniature force field separating their edges. It was evident that the brown-haired youth's powers were based on the mind. An assumption strongly supported by the matching blows the two parties were exchanging. In the end, the brunette ended up sprawled on the ground trying to fill his lungs with air after the severe blow he had taken on his chest with the hilt of his opponent's sword._

 _Silver eyes turned to green and narrowed slightly. It was only due to pure instinct that Zoisite managed to defend himself against the silver blur that sprinted towards him. Obsidian met crystal and silver eyes widened slightly. Zoisite deduced that maybe his opponent hadn't cheated after all. The surprise abandoned his face quickly and the fight raged on. Zoisite struggled to maintain his balance against the attacks, thankful that the idea of crystallizing his sword had occurred to him at the right moment. But steel wasn't the only thing that he could crystallize. Taking a deep breath, Zoisite focused on the ground underneath him. On how the brownish tiles connected with each other. On the solid surface that each one of them possessed. And just like that the ground turned to shiny crystal. As expected, his opponent stumbled momentarily on his feet and stopped his assault in order to regain his balance, leaving an opening for Zoisite to take the win. He sprinted forward, sword at the ready and.._

 _''Wow! I haven't seen something like this before!''_

 _With his concentration lost, the crystal retracted and before he knew it he was lying on the ground, a black sword extremely close to his throat. He scowled at the blank face his opponent was giving him. The sword disappeared in a puff of black smoke and his holder took a step back in order to give him some space._

 _''You need to pay more attention to your surroundings.'', he stated with a disapproving glare that made his fingers curl into fists. He was ready to express his opposing to this, when a boy appeared in front of him._

 _''Kunzite, wait! It was my fault. I should have kept quiet.'' He turned to face him and bowed his head deeply. ''I'm sorry.''_

 _Zoisite blinked in confusion. He recognized the voice of the black-haired boy as the one who had caused the disappearance of his focus. He had been mad about it before, but upon receiving such an earnest apology he didn't know what to do. It was not like people apologized to him every day and he had practiced on how to answer. The situation got more awkward for him when he realized that the bowing boy, who he thought of as the fourth Shitennou, was waiting for a response._

 _''I-it's okay.'', he eventually assured with a half-smile that turned into a sigh of relief when the other boy finally looked up and smiled back. Perhaps he could be friends with him if he stayed. And he had called their leader by his name. Not master, or sir or something like that. Perhaps the silver-haired boy wasn't so bad after all. And perhaps he shouldn't have calculated things based on appearances. He would be certain to keep that in mind when he met the prince._

 _''You shouldn't have to apologize. '', Kunzite exclaimed. ''In a battlefield there will be a million of sounds. If he can't learn to fight with them, he is useless. Rest assured you weren't at fault, my prince.''_

 _Prince. The word rang in Zoicite's mind like the church's bells back at his home. Without much thought, he quickly changed his stance into a deep bow as the boy who had arrived with him approached and mimicked his action. He tried to hide his embarrassment as the prince spoke again._

 _''I'm glad that you two are here.''_

 _Even without looking, Zoisite easily detected the smile in his voice. He slowly lifted his head and felt the edges of his lips curve up when his prediction was verified. The smile disappeared, arranging itself into a thin line. Blue eyes sharp. Posture straight. Kunzite bowed between them, his right fist pressed tightly on top of his beating heart._

 _''My liege, what is that concerns you?''_

 _Kunzite spoke softly but encouragingly, his eyes locking on his master's. Nephrite kept his gaze low. He knew that the answer wouldn't come. Zoicite simply waited, having forgotten all about his plans for escaping his assignment. The prince averted his gaze and turned to leave, his cape following his movements._

 _''Pack up. We are leaving tomorrow.''_

 _And with those words he exited the training room, a white cat that Zoicite hadn't noticed before trailing him._

* * *

''Yukio, wake up! Are you okay? Kunzite?!''

Minako was beyond worried by this point. They had fainted. Just lost consciousness out of the blue and at the same time. One moment they were all suffering the same fate and the next they weren't. Minako didn't know how to feel about this. Had they somehow done something to themselves or had the cardian condemned them in a worse fate? But if her first assertion were true, then why had they not woken up yet? It was concerning. Even though the cardian was draining their energy they should have lasted more. Yukio should have lasted more. They had been captured after the others after all.

Minako titled her head to the right with some struggle to check on her team. They were all trapped in trees now, their energy rapidly leaving their body. Rei had passed out a few minutes ago. Ami's eyelids were flickering now and then, as if she was fighting with sleep. Makoto was struggling to get free, her green irises burning with rage as she focused on Satoru's numb form, trapped inside a tree across from her. If she were to get free, she would thunderbolt that cardian until death. Whether it was the cardian's or her own. Whichever came first. Minako, with more difficulty than before, turned to her left. Nothing had changed since the time she had last checked on them. What was going was one of the things she would have liked to know.

As if to answer her unspoken question, a golden light flashed across the sky. The cardian turned her gaze away from her victims to cast a curious glance upwards as well. The golden light eventually descended upon the Earth and encircled the Shitennou. It disappeared in a flash of blinding energy, sending the startled cardian to collide with some of her life-draining trees. Its role had been completed.

Minako's eyes filled with hope as Yukio's fingers twitched slightly. His silver orbs blinked in confusion as the situation he was in settled in his mind. Makoto's eyes softened as Satoru locked eyes with her. Ami smiled faintly at Kaito, before blacking out, but before Kaito could call out to her, the trees they were trapped in burst in flames and crumbled to dust, the fire touching them but not causing harm. Kagari sprinted forward and did the same with the girls, catching Rei in his embrace as she fell. Makoto tried to support Ami but ended up kneeling on the ground beside her. She was grateful when Kaito and Satoru helped with the situation.

"What happened? ", Yukio asked, helping a somewhat unsteady Minako to her feet.

"I should be the one asking that. What happened to you?"

"It's a long story. ", Kaito sighed.

"How long exactly? ", Ami queried as she finally came to, rubbing her temple.

"You okay? ", Kaito inquired concerned.

"I'll be fine. ", Ami assured with a small smile. "What about Rei? "

"She is still out of it. ", Satoru replied.

"How did you do that? ", Makoto questioned, turning towards Kagari. "Rei tried to burn the trees earlier, but it didn't work."

"It's part of the long story. "

"Yes. ", Kaito affirmed. "More importantly, Ami I need to tell you something."

"That is another long story that can wait for later. ", Satoru interrupted him, placing a hand on his shoulder and ignoring Ami's confused look.

A loud shriek was heard from behind them, reminding them of the fact that the cardian had yet to be defeated. She emerged from the trees that had fallen on top of her, finally revealing her true form. The green monster that now resembled more a tree than a human, screamed enraged and dashed towards them.

Kaito didn't allow her to go far. He extended his hand forward and at once big sharp crystals rose from the ground, effectively making her stop in hopes of not getting impaled. Satoru took the lead next. Needing no movement to activate his upgraded powers, he simply let his mind concentrate on the task at hand. Kaito's crystals steadily broke into pieces and hit the cardigan head on. A green substance ran out of her side, where such a piece had been impaled. She grunted and pulled it out, the amount of green intensifying. But she didn't give up. She charged only to be held in place by black lines. Yukio's shadows had emerged from the ground and successfully pinned her down with ease. Kagari set Rei down and prepared for the final hit. Fire surrounded his body and expanded forward in a form of a ferocious dragon.

The police officers who were investigating nearby, cringed at the screams that echoed through the park and possibly beyond. However, they found no one there when they arrived at their source. Mamoru and Usagi exchanged worried glances, before moving to the edge of the gathered crowd to ask one of the officers what was happening. They couldn't have noticed the seven pairs of eyes staring at them longingly from a nearby rooftop. A mere moment passed just like this and then they disappeared, each one going their own way.

* * *

 _Endymion awoke with a fit of coughs when someone threw water on his face. His skull was pounding and when he opened his eyes he found his vision blurry and disoriented. For a significant portion of time all he could see was white with a few colorful lines moving inside it. Mostly blue and brown with some red here and there. The feeling of something fluid and sticky on his head didn't help to unnerve him._

 _He struggled to recall what had happened after he had been forced to flee from the battle. He clearly remembered being chased to the bridge and then.. and then.. Then another rider had appeared out of nowhere and blocked his way. Zen had stopped abruptly at the sight of the rider's black horse stomping angrily his feet on the ground, his eyes sharp with anger. His beloved horse had reared back, neighing with fear and surprise. And he had lost his balance and had fallen, hitting his head on something hard. The last thing he had seen before blacking out were ropes and chains being thrown at his friend._

 _Zen. Where was he now?_

 _Slowly Endymion blinked and adjusted his vision. He tried to bring a hand to his eyes, but found himself unable to do so. He struggled against his iron bonds and hissed when the metal cut his skin without mercy. A shadow moved and he looked up startled. There, outside of the metallic cell he was trapped in, a figure was standing. The young woman stepped a little closer, throwing the bucket she was holding carelessly to the ground. She was wearing black leggings, interrupted by long brown leather boots. A short black skirt was flowing around her, a red belt hanging loosely around her slim waist. Her torso was covered by a sleeveless red blouse that left the largest portion of her back exposed. A long black glove was travelling all the way up to her right arm. Her hair was caught in a neat bun by an elegant clip decorated with silver-blue flowers, red being interrupted by brown and purple strands. Some red ones had escaped from it and hang freely on her back and in front of her eyes. She had eyes cold and empty that dared you to challenge them. Some people would compare them to Kunzite's, Endymmion thought despite his sorry state. And he would prove them all wrong. He might have spent only a short time with the boy, but he knew. He knew that his eyes, no matter how expressionless, always had a bit of emotion swimming in their depths. Well hidden, but still there. But that woman's eyes held nothing but emptiness. Most people would have felt unsettled and looked away, but Endymion didn't._

 _He had dealt with these kind of people before. Questions wouldn't be answered. Though it was the first time he had actually reached the point of being kidnapped._

 _It was the first time he had felt so helpless. He hadn't managed to learn how to use the Golden crystal yet after all. Helios was helping him, but it was a difficult task._

 _He casted a quick glance, behind the woman. Zen was tied to a pole along with other horses, his muzzle restrained by metal bindings. What had he done? If he hadn't run away to the bridge, maybe Zen wouldn't be suffering like this. He was the one to blame for all this mess._

 _Despite this feeling, Endymion didn't let the emotion flee into his face._

 _A few more minutes passed before the woman turned away._

 _Before she took her eyes away from his own._

 _Those empty eyes that in the moonlight gleamed even redder than blood._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9: Code of the Love**

Rei opened her eyes slowly, taking her time to enjoy the soft feeling of her fluffy pillow and the warm embrace of her woolen blanket. She was lying on her side, facing her wall. It was a pale pink color, almost identical to the cherry blossoms that she and the others had-

"The cardian!", Rei yelled and threw her covers away with a swift motion of her arm. She stopped frozen when something solid came in contact with her hand followed by a painful yelp and a loud thud. Glancing down, Rei blinked confused at the sight.

Kagari was lying on top of her fallen desk chair, a hand slowly massaging a red spot at his temple. He looked up at her after a while, but looked away almost immediately, a blush matching the mark on his forehead appearing on his cheeks. Rei raised an eyebrow in question that shot up in shock when she looked at her outfit. She wasn't wearing what she was supposed to anymore. The clothes she had worn in the park had been replaced by her red pajama shorts and brown tank top. Α tank top whose strap was loosely hanging a little further down from her shoulder, revealing way more that she liked to common sight. She pulled it up quickly, her heart racing and her face red. How had she ended up into those clothes anyway? Eyeing Kagari, who was still sitting on the floor, she felt anger rising inside her body. As if sensing her discomfort, Kagari spoke up, never taking his eyes from the floor.

''Y-Yuuko helped you get- I didn't see. I stayed outside! Honest.'', he stammered. It wasn't normal for him to feel so nervous, but he had been worried when she hadn't woken up and had to carry her all the way to the Shrine, deal with an enthusiastic (for seeing him) and alarmed (for seeing Rei) priest, answer the questions Yuuko was throwing at him as realistic as possible and avoid dropping Rei thanks to two pestering birds flying right in front of him and blocking his vision. ''I should go.''

''No!'', Rei automatically opposed. ''You don't have to. You can stay more if you have time. But if you don't want to stay, I'll understand.''

''It would be my pleasure.'', Kagari smiled, pulling up the chair and taking a seat once more. ''I actually wanted to talk you about something.''

"Me too.", Rei stated, sifting on a more comfortable position on her bed.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Violet and green blinked and chuckled at the rare occurrence they had experienced. Still, Rei was the first to recover and continued.

"I shouldn't have pushed you so much. We are strangers here and yet I feel like I am pulled towards you. I acted without considering your feelings. I'm sorry."

"You are right. We are strangers.", Kagari sighed. "And that's why I shouldn't have snapped at you that night. You don't know about my current life so my behavior cannot be justified. I apologize too for that."

"But I can find out, right?", Rei asked hopefully, grabbing his hand.

"It wouldn't be fair if you couldn't.", Kagari smirked. "Your grandfather talks a lot about you."

"Hopefully he tells good words. ", Rei frowned.

"Who knows?", Kagari grinned playfully. "He is happy that you are back."

"Yeah..", Rei hummed, remembering their reunion after her first battle. She couldn't even imagine how he had felt when she had been taken. The night of her return, he had cried. They both had. Reuniting with her grandpa had been one of the most special moments of her life, followed by when her ravens had taken their human form and greeted her warmly and affectionately. And now she was living through another special moment, hoping that yet another one would take place soon.

"So, what will you tell me first?", Rei queried curiously.

"It would be best if we started with the difficult ones.", Kagari muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Difficult?", Rei repeated, watching with a slight frown as Kagari's expression distorted into that nostalgic one he had worn the night of his awakening.

Kagari inhaled deeply and exhaled even more. He shifted in his chair, taking a more comfortable position for long lasting speeches. His eyes were flat serious as he stared into hers. He opened his mouth, never breaking contact.

''Well, I should probably start with the day my sister died.''

* * *

 _Nephrite had known that something great was going to happen, before an ambassador had come to take him to the prince. He had taken his time to reflect on it and discuss the topic with his friends above and had initially come to the conclusion that being in the prince's company would be the right decision to make. Because he did have a choice. Because the stars had told him that the prince would pardon him from his duties if he didn't want to serve him. Contracts between magic users weren't a signature on a piece of paper after all. You couldn't just rip them and declare them undone. Not without consequences._

 _And Nephrite could tell that this was the reason of the prince's downcast mood. They were moving in accordance to the King's orders right now. The prince didn't agree with his father's orders and neither did he. But they had no say in the matter. They had to find the last chosen of the Golden Crystal and convince him or rather force him to join them._

 _Nephrite was conflicted upon the matter, mostly because the stars hadn't chosen to gift him with their insight. He couldn't understand why someone wouldn't want to take on such an important task as theirs. Granted Zoisite had hesitated too, but it was due to uncertainty and doubt. But to refuse to even present himself in front of his majesty and on top of that attack the ambassador and seek sanctuary in a temple was both traitorous and ridiculous at the same time._

 _The carriage stopped in front of the temple and Kunzite disembarked first, cautious as always, his hood already pulled up. It was a secret that the prince was out of the palace. Nephrite couldn't blame the King for giving that order. He didn't want to imagine what trouble they would get into if that little piece of information were to leak out. There were many kinds of people out there after all._

 _The temple was located in a rocky mountain. The brown bricks it was made of was making it look like one with it, but the light that came from inside and the ash black door was giving it away. The high priest of the temple was waiting in front of it as one of the few people aware of the prince's arrival. He fell on one knee when Endymion halted in front of him, his brownish bangs covering his eyes for a moment. His robes were red and yellow, spreading across the stone floor. For one that had gotten used to a priest's attire in Elysion, it was an interesting sight to witness. Endymion motioned for him to stand and the priest led them inside the structure. He left them waiting in a chamber full of statues of dragons and phoenixes which served as carriers of flames that perfectly illuminated the room. Endymion pulled off his hood with a silent sigh, his features dark under the light of the fire. Kunzite held back a scowl, while Zoisite kept looking at the unique architecture of the building. Nephrite shook his head at the display. His prince was troubled. His leader was agitated. His subordinate was trying to get his mind off things. And he was still wondering why that boy was showing such deep disrespect toward the royal family._

 _"My prince.", the high priest bowed his head as he reentered the room. Alone._

 _"He doesn't want to see me, does he?"_

 _"I'm afraid your assumption is correct, your highness."_

 _"That doesn't leave us many choices then.", Endymion sighed, turning to look at his guardians who immediately straightened under his gaze. He looked at them carefully and opened his mouth to speak when the doors of the room flew open. A woman sprinted towards the prince, her breaths fast and heavy. In the blink of an eye, Kunzite had a sword at her throat, while Nephrite and Zoisite had pushed the prince back and stood in front of him protectively, swords at the ready. The woman wasn't faced, staring intently at Endymion's eyes._

 _"You have to take him with you.", she pleaded, clenching her bandaged fists. "Force him out of here if the need arises, but please don't leave him behind. I beg of you, my lord."_

 _"Forcing someone to do things they don't want to is not right.", Zoisite said, continuing even after receiving a poisonous glance from the woman. "Besides, he has asked for asylum here."_

 _"Who are you?!", Kunzite demanded._

 _"She works here.", Nephrite responded. "As a healer."_

 _"I don't intend to force him out of here.", Endymion explained, making his way forward and lowering Kunzite's sword until the blade pointed at the ground before continuing toward the door. "But I won't give up yet either. Wait for me here."_

 _And before anyone could protest, he was gone with the priest as his guide. He led him through a corridor lit by fire, to a brown door with red carvings. Endymion didn't manage to make them out before the priest opened them widely. The prince motioned for him to leave before stepping inside._

 _A huge fire was burning at the far end of the room. The boy Endymion was searching for was sitting in a meditating position in front of the red and orange inferno. He stopped a few meters behind him, noticing how the boy's shoulders stiffened at every step he took. A long period of silence followed. Only the periodical cracking of the flames could be heard._

 _"The King orders your acceptance."_

 _Blonde head was lowered._

 _"I do not agree with his will."_

 _It rose, but didn't turn. The flames rose slightly, as if interested._

 _"I will be departing with the crack of dawn. If you can give me an allowable reason for your objection, I will arrange everything. But if you don't, your fate won't be in my hands anymore."_

 _Another period of silence and Endymion turned to leave. Dark laughter stopped him in his tracks. He turned around, quizzical eyes at the chuckling boy that sat in front of the fire. His voice was hoarse when he spoke._

 _"I can't protect you. It will be dangerous if I end up as an addition in your company. If you would like to show me some kindness, then I only ask of you this: kill me now. The world will be better without me. Yes. Everyone will be better without me."_

 _Endymion drew his sword._

* * *

''An arranged marriage?!''

All eyes on the small café turned towards the source of the outburst, some more curious than the ordinary. Kaito looked at the other customers awkwardly as he stabilized the beverage Ami had ordered, a few drops of creamy vanilla tainting his fingers. Ami, only now noticing the attention she had brought to their table, flopped down on her cushioned seat quickly, a blush covering her cheeks. Kaito licked the vanilla of his fingertips as the customers finally averted their gazes and returned to their business.

''Arranged marriage?'', Ami repeated much more quietly this time.

''Yes.'', Kaito affirmed. ''Not that it will ever happen. Naturally, Mina has the same thoughts.''

''And Yukio?'', Ami queried.

''He is rather optimistic about it.'', Kaito replied, taking a sip from his herbal tea. ''He just views it as a problem waiting to be solved, I guess.''

''I can relate to that.'', Ami commented drily, not liking the idea of her boyfriend being forced to marry someone. And her leader and friend at that! ''Don't take me wrong, but I really hate your father right now.''

''Don't take _me_ wrong, but right now I kinda hate him too.'', Kaito sighed and smiled as Ami chuckled lightly at his remark. ''But don't worry, I already called the special forces to solve the problem for us.''

''Special forces?''

''Ah, there she is!'', Kaito announced, getting up from his seat and waving to someone behind Ami. The blunette turned around in confusion and blinked at the one who was approaching them. It was a woman with sunflower hair that reached her waist in curly ends. Her eyes were blue orbs of smiling kindness and her rosy lips were stretched into a petite smile. Even though she was wearing only a simple pair of flat black shoes, she was easily reaching Kaito's height.

"Kaito, look how much you have grown.", she exclaimed, enveloping him in a hug. She let go and placed both hands on his cheeks, smiling brightly. "It feels like I haven't seen you in ages."

"We video-chat all the time.", Kaito chuckled.

"You know that it's not the same.", the blonde woman scolded, punching Kaito lightly on the arm.

"Excuse me.", Ami intervened, standing up and offering a small bow. " I am Mizuno Ami. And you?"

"Oh my, I'm sorry for ignoring you, dear.", she apologized, bowing back rather clumsily. "My name is Phoebe. I am Kaito's mother. Please feel free to call me by my first name. Kaito has told me many things about you. You want to be a doctor, right? Good. I find it appealing that you have such high expectations of yourself. And don't worry your little head about what Kaito's father said. He gets over his head sometimes. Me and him will resolve everything upon a little civilized conversation. I'd like to chat longer but my taxi is waiting for me. And I will be leaving tomorrow evening so we don't have much time to know each other. But you two make sure to come and bid me goodbye at the airport."

"We will.", Kaito promised. "I will drive you there remember?"

"Yes, of course. darling.", Phoebe smiled. "It was real nice seeing you up close. Please make some time for me tomorrow if possible. I would really appreciate it."

"Y-yes of course.", Ami stammered.

"Good. Well then, see you later.", Phoebe said before leaving the café as quickly as she had entered it. Kaito calmly sat back down and finished his drink with Ami looking at him with shock as she too took her previous place.

"What just happened?'', Ami queried, still trying to grasp the situation.

''Yeah, sorry about that. My mom is a little.. well.. She is a busy person. And she is mad with my dad right now so she is not in the best of moods either.''

''You didn't tell me she was coming.'', Ami huffed. ''Why didn't you tell me she was coming?''

''Uh.. surprise?''

Ami frowned, eyebrow raised in irritation.

''I called her yesterday. I was going to tell you earlier, but the cardian happened.'', Kaito explained. ''And she arrived before I could tell you about it.''

''From what I gathered, you believe that she can change your father's mind.'', Ami hypothesized.

''She will. Trust me on that.'', Kaito smirked, leaning on his chair. ''Once she puts something on her mind, there is no going back. She will get what she wants no matter what. Be it with the good or the bad way.''

''Really? She didn't seem like that kind of person.'', Ami thought out loud.

''Do Usagi and Mamoru seem like powerful beings smashing enemies with a single strike?''

''Hm, point taken.''

* * *

''When I told you we should check out the kindergartens, this wasn't what I meant.''

Minako simply giggled at her partner's statement, causing Yukio to sigh in something akin to despair. It had only been yesterday that the enemy had attacked the park and yet they were moving again. It was the only explanation that could be given to justify the various attacks on kindergartens that had started immediately after they had defeated the cardian at the cherry blossom viewing. With the aid of the three felines who had made the control center their second home, they had managed to decipher the next possible targets. They had split into three teams for this mission. Three because Kaito and Ami had to drive the former's mother to the airport. But they had left with the promise of returning as soon as possible and keeping an eye on the area they had been assigned to. Yukio sighed again, a lot deeper than before.

''It's not that bad.'', Minako huffed at his behavior.

''We should be watching over the kindergarten secretly, not giving speeches to little children.'', Yukio remarked. ''How will we transform if there are so many people around?!''

''But didn't you see the dedication in that little girl's eyes, when she defended our existence over the evil of the world?''. Minako sharply questioned.

''Those kids might as well have been arguing over Santa Claus.''. Yukio stated.

''Don't bring Mr. Santa into this. You will be added to the naughty list.'', Minako gasped.

''I refuse to continue with this conversation.'', Yukio declared. ''Just say what you have to say and let's keep going. I am not missing evening classes for this thing.''

''Don't worry. It won't take long.'', Minako smiled, before turning to the children that had now gathered in front of her and Yukio. The small girl they had met earlier ran up to them and beamed brightly, before taking her place next to Minako.

''Can we begin now?'', Mei asked sweetly, her pigtails bouncing along with her movements.

''Of course.'', Minako affirmed. ''Okay, listen up kids! It has come to my attention that you all are unsure of whether the superheroes on this planet really do exist! And I am telling you that..''

Yukio stopped listening to Minako's words when his communicator beeped, notifying him with an incoming call. Gracing the teacher with a small smile, he exited the building and leaned against its outer wall. Satoru's voice came through the small device the moment Yukio pushed the appropriate button.

''Me and Makoto have found nothing here, but we are still sticking around just in case.''

''Same for us too.'', Kaito added. ''I have lost count of how many circles I have made with the car.''

''I think that police officer over there is starting to suspect us.'', Ami pointed out.

''Yep, I can see the headlines.'', Makoto chuckled. ''Akiyama Kaito, the sole inheritor of the world-famous Akiyama Industries, is currently being held by charges for terrorism against underage civilians. His partner, Mizuno Ami, is still being questioned for her involvement in the recent crimes.''

''Not. Funny.'', Kaito stated, the frown evident in his voice.

''Seconded.'', Ami huffed.

''You guys have no sense of humor.'', Makoto managed to say between laughs.

''Or rather you are not aware of its limits.'', Kaito scoffed.

''Where is Minako?'', Satoru queried, sensing the beginning of an argument blooming in front of him. ''I can't reach her on her communicator.''

''We are in Shiba Kindergarten and she is inside trying to convince the kids that we as superheroes are real.'', Yukio sighed for the umpteenth time that evening. ''Anyway, how is our problem doing?''

''Oh, our problem isn't doing at all.'', Kaito corrected. ''It died the moment my mother breathed the air of our country and was buried the second she stepped into my house. After this mission, I am just going to go in there and seal the deal.''

''In other words, the engagement is off, a conversation with his father is due to take place and.. he wants to meet me.'', Ami explained.

''Don't worry. Even if he likes you or not, I am marrying you. We are going to have our own house and our children like those Mina is taking care off.'', Kaito thought out loud.

''C-children?'', Ami gulped.

''What? You don't want any?'', Kaito inquired, disappointment crossing the edges of his voice.

''Well, I haven't thought that far into the future.'', Ami confessed.

''You can discuss that another time.'', Yukio cleared his throat. ''I have to end the call soon, Mina is coming out with the children. Keep looking until all the kids go home. They shouldn't be able to make a move after that.'' After various affirmations were spoken, Yukio ended the call and turned towards the approaching crowd.

''I didn't convince them in the end'', Minako muttered, as the kids started boarding their bus. ''They said that they wouldn't believe it without seeing it first.''

''You are very good with them, though.'', Yukio smiled.

''Because they are children. They deserved to be treated like that.'', Minako shrugged. ''And that's why we are driving we them.''

''Mina, don't be so relaxed. We are on a mission.'', Yukio scolded.

''Because I acted a bit carefree, doesn't mean I don't take our job seriously.'', Minako answered back. ''I heard the last bit of the conversation. We are supposed to watch over them until they return home. What better way that actually being with them? Of course, you can run behind the bus if you want to.''

''Okay, okay point taken.'', Yukio surrendered. ''Let's get over with it.''

''You are not going to be executed.'', Minako laughed as they stepped on the bus and took the front seats.

''I am not good with children.'', Yukio murmured, watching the buildings pass by from the window. Minako simply chuckled at that and proceeded to entertain the children while speaking through the microphone. They were at the third song, when Yukio felt a strange aura approaching them. He got on his feet immediately, holding on to a metallic bar to keep his balance and scanned the road in front of them. But nothing could be seen in the darkness of the tunnel they had just entered. The fact that this was the perfect place for a trap was worrying him beyond ordinary.

''What's that?'', the driver suddenly exclaimed, catching his as well as Minako's attention.

The blonde stopped her signing and stared ahead at the vulture-like creature who was grinning as the lights of the bus highlighted her form. But before either of them could react the cardian smashed through the front window with her body and landed inside the bus. The vehicle rotated for a while, before it eventually stopped with the driver unconscious in his seat due to his energy having been taken away and Minako and Yukio trying to get up from the places they had fallen. Luckily, the kids were uninjured thanks to their seatbelts. And the two magic users were dedicated to keep it that way. Yukio leapt to his feet first and punched the cardian in the face, causing her to stumble backwards with a hand resting on her now reddish cheek. Minako didn't hesitate to follow his example and swipe her enemy off her feet with a well-placed kick at her legs. However, in their current form they weren't strong enough to match with a cardian's power. A thesis that was proved when the cardian easily grabbed Minako and tossed her without effort out of the bus's door. She hadn't even gotten up when Yukio crashed through one of the windows, pieces of sharp glass falling around him.

''Are you okay?'', Minako stressed as she hurried at his side and helped him sit up.

''We shouldn't worry about me now.'', Yukio remarked, glancing at the school bus. Minako, though still concerned, nodded and they transformed without another word.

Yukio thrust his dark energy towards the cardian and thanks to that she was thrown out of the bus at the same manner as he had. The children hasped and awed as their eyes fell on the two heroes, some gasping with amazement that after all they were real. Minako smiled briefly at them, satisfied at the big, happy smile on Mei's face. She would have done more if at that moment the cardian hadn't decided to attack them. She rose from the place she had fallen with a single flap of her wings and send powerful gusts of wind towards them that quickly transformed into raging tornados. They dodged them as best as they could, but that didn't save Yukio from getting hit and slamming on the bus violently. He hissed when the cut he had acquired on his arm by the glass came in contact with the hard surface. Minako cast a worried glance towards him and watched as the fabric of his sleeve turned red at the upper point. He wasn't in much pain now because of the transformation, but she knew that the moment it wore out it would be questionable if he could even move his arm. Not willing to let him get more damage, she readied her attack and thrust a crescent beam at the cardian. A beam that didn't work the way she wanted. She tried again and again, putting more and more power each time but nothing happened.

The last attack caused her heels to leave trails on the tarmac as she was unwillingly thrown backwards. The shouts of the children and the fact that Yukio was now holding his arm in pain didn't help to ease her anxiety in the slightest. The cardians were getting stronger, while she was staying relatively the same. And without Yukio's recently upgraded powers she couldn't be much help. The cardian flapped her wings once more and a larger tornado started heading towards was in the process of preparing another most likely useless crescent beam, when the voice echoed in her mind.

 _"You don't need to be so uptight all the time, Venus. We are not in front of my mother now. "_

 _"A moment of relaxation on my part could cost your life, princess. I'd rather not risk something so valuable."_

 _"But you have to think about yourself, too. All you do is train and train and train."_

 _"In order to get stronger, so I can protect you better."_

 _"Then I should do the same in order to protect you and the others as well."_

 _"You needn't do this. Training is the guardian's responsibility not the master's."_

 _"No, you are wrong! You pledged your life to me, didn't you? Thus you are my responsibility. But my resolve doesn't come from this. It is my feelings that fuel it. It is my love for my planet, my people, my friends. And someday when I come to love someone, my love will push me forward and I will be able to protect him too. It's the same with you, isn't it? It makes sense actually. What would the Senshi of love fight for if not love._

A ghost of a smile appeared on Minako's lips as she recalled the moment of when the Moon kingdom was still in existence. She felt a warm sensation rise inside of her. And almost mechanically she called out a different attack. Her single beam of light separated in a kaleidoscope of various lines that struck the cardian from every possible direction until she vanished in an explosion of light, leaving only an empty card behind. The cheers of the children intensified as they congratulated their heroes over their victory. From atop a nearby building the two phantoms shared an approving smile, before they disappeared due to the police approaching the scene. Everything was going according to their plan.

* * *

''I don't believe that our plan failed again!''

''It is unsettling, even though we managed to collect a lot of power.''

''It won't last long.'', An huffed, pressing a hand against the Tree. ''It's not enough, but at the same time better than before. I can feel it. Next time I want to chase even younger victims.''

''And so it shall be.'', Eiru agreed. ''However, that doesn't change the fact that those guardians are getting in our way. Even though we have been sending more powerful cardians lately, they have managed to defeat them.''

''I don't understand this either.'', An remarked. ''In the beginning they needed teamwork to defeat our servants, but lately a single attack is enough for them to do so.''

''What kind of power source could they have in their hands?'', Eiru wondered out loud. ''And if so why not take over this world with their power instead of wasting their time protecting it? What is so important here? Well, expect of..''

''Expect of what?!'', An snapped. ''Or shall I say who?''

''I believe our next attack should be at..''

''Don't change the subject!'', An demanded. ''You were thinking of Usagi again, weren't you?''

''You are one to talk! What about that guy Chiba Mamoru? Hm?'', Eiru questioned.

''At least I am not flirting with stupid girls at school corridors!'', An answered back.

''I wasn't flirting!'', Eiru denied. ''I was just showing her some exercises to keep in shape.''

''She is running to school every day. I think she is fine on that department.'', An huffed. ''Anyway, I had enough of this talk. Good night, Eiru.'', she said and teleported back to their apartment. Eiru sighed deeply when she left and rubbed his temple in irritation. With a flick of his wrist his flute appeared in his hand and he brought it to his lips immediately. After such an ordeal he was in desperate need of some relaxation that only his music could offer.

On the rooftop of the building that Eiru and An currently resided in Hana was struggling to suppress her laughter from being heard from the whole neighborhood. Haruki sighed in disapproval at the sight and flicked her newspaper at the next page. Even though it was pitch black, she had no trouble of reading with her special eyesight.

''Those kids are hilarious.'', Hana managed between giggles.

''Those kids are misled.'', Haruki corrected.

''And that's why they are hilarious.'', Hana stated. ''What are you reading?''

''An article about Yumeno Yumemi's latest work.'', Haruki replied, turning the paper around so her friend could see. ''One of the painting resembles their Tree.''

''There are major differences though.'', Hana pointed out upon inspecting the picture.

''As expected.'', Haruki remarked, making the newspaper disappear.

''Yeah, as time passes by the influence of the rainbow crystal will diminish until it completely disappears. That girl, Mirai, is already free of the burden of future sight.'', Hana informed. ''Sometimes I wonder if Setsuna views her power that way as well. If she wants to deprive of it, I mean.''

''As you and I know very well, great power comes with a price. It might destroy you if you aren't careful. But I think Setsuna is willing to take the risk, for without the power she won't be able to protect what is precious to her.'', Haruki voiced.

''The same goes for Mamoru and Usagi.'', Hana added. ''I worry about that unselfishness of theirs. In the past life, Mamoru could have destroyed Metalia without saving everyone, but he did and paid the cost. And now he and Usagi don't have their memories because they made a similar choice. Their power is self-destructive and they are aware of the fact. I find it endearing that despite it, they keep going.''

''It is their destiny. To live and die. To separate and reunite. To meet us and forget us time and time again.''


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I know, I know. I haven't updated for a really long time. *sigh* You have my apologies for my delay, but I'm quite busy. And to top it all, I am leaving for Italy in two days. And I have another trip scheduled for next month. I likely won't be able to write anything in their duration, but as always I will post the next chapter ASAP.**

 **Thank you for your support! :)**

 **Chapter 10: Choices of the past**

''I feel bad that we missed all the action.''

''If we hadn't Mina wouldn't have gotten a new attack.''

''Still..''

''What happened, happened. We can't change the past.'', Kaito remarked, as he unlocked the front door of his house, allowing Ami to enter before him. "Besides, we have something more ominous to deal with.''

''I think you should make up with your father.'', Ami remarked, stopping in the hallway.

''Easier said than done.'', Kaito mumbled, dropping his keys on a nearby table.

''But not impossible.'', Ami pressed on. ''My father wasn't there in my early years and I felt terrible about it. For a long time I thought that his absence was my mistake. I can't even imagine how hard it is for you to actually have him with you and lack communication. I mean, look at you and your mother. You haven't seen each other for months and when you met it was as if you were seeing her every day. I-we- don't want you to be so troubled about this.''

''But I am partly at fault.'', Kaito confessed. ''Because I was playing along at the beginning. Because I was pretending to be interested in the company and eager to observe the meetings. Because I never had the resolve to go against my father's wishes. I didn't want to disappoint him, so I thought that it wouldn't matter if I learned a few things about his occupation. I even got the chance to meet some celebrities in the world of racing. But after some point he started getting persistent and when I voiced my true opinions it was too late. He passed them by as teenage urges and said that I am passing through the phase of not knowing what I want. But I do know! I want to be with you and the others. I want to be a pianist and most of all I want to protect those I care for and this planet.''

''I know.'', Ami whispered, hugging him gently from behind and burying her face in his back. Kaito shivered at her sudden affection, but didn't pull away. ''Whatever happens, we will be there for you. No matter what. Always and forever.''

For how much time they stayed like this, Kaito didn't know. He slowly brought his hands on top of the ones that encircled his waist and squeezed reassuringly, letting Ami know that he understood her words. They were true after all. He wasn't alone anymore. Memories didn't matter. Mamoru had approached him when they both had none. Yukio and Kagari had joined them with little knowledge themselves. Satoru had never stopped searching for them. The girls started hanging out without remembering. Mina hadn't hesitated to try again. And Usagi and Mamoru were attracted to each other no matter what. Their embrace only broke when someone coughed awkwardly to get the couple's attention. Kaito looked up expecting to see Joseph, but he stared surprised at the form of his father standing quietly at the end of the hallway, hands behind his straight back. He felt Ami trying to back away from him, but he instead grabbed her by the waist and brought her to his side. She didn't pull away and stood her ground, even though she was unsure of what to do as she all of a sudden started feeling like she was being intensely watched. Luckily, Akiyama Hayashi was the one to speak first.

''Young miss, may I speak alone with my son for a few moments?''

''Y-yes, of course.'', Ami nodded, glancing uncertainly at Kaito's side.

''Wait for me in the living room.'', Kaito sighed, before following his father to his office. Ami stared after them for a while before following Kaito's suggestion. She was glad that she had a good memory and thus could easily find her way around the large mansion without getting lost in its vastness.

"I heard a part of your conversation. ", Akiyama Hayashi said, moving towards his desk. He went to sit, but upon second thought shook his head and moved to stand in front of his son, chuckling lightly. "Your mother came by. She still has that fiery spirit on full force. She said that I treat you as a mean to expand my business. Sitting behind that desk and looking at you like one of my employees."

"Dad.."

"And she was right. I know I am not a good father. I knew I wouldn't be since the moment your mother told me she was pregnant. Nevertheless, I wanted to try. It was easier when she was around helping me out. But with her gone, I didn't realize that my ignorance had reached such an enormous stage. I don't blame you for not telling me how you felt. I was the one who pushed you away in the first place. I guess that Joseph is more a father to you than I am."

"Joseph is too formal to play that role.", Kaito shrugged, thinking over his father's words. "He is more like a mentor or something like that."

"I'm sorry.", the elder man apologized. "I know that it may mean nothing to you, but.. I'm sorry for everything.''

"You are wrong dad. It really means a lot.", Kaito disagreed. "I have a friend who taught me that forgiveness is always an option, no matter how big the sin. If you are willing, we can always start again."

"When did you get so wise.. In that case, will your friend stay for dinner? ", the businessman questioned. "I would like to meet my son's love interest."

"Y-yes, she will.", Kaito affirmed, clearing his throat in an effort to sink his embarrassment. "But don't you have work to do?", he asked, eyeing the stack of papers on his father's desk.

"It can wait.", Akiyama Hayashi replied, heading towards the door. "We shouldn't keep quests waiting. And Kaito. I may not show it, but I am proud of you. I won't push you anymore. Do whatever you want. Be whatever you want. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something. Not even me. But I need you to promise me something."

"What? ", Kaito enquired.

"You have seen the news lately, haven't you? People collapsing out of the blue, strange attacks happening here and there. It's abnormal. I know that you won't like me assigning you a bodyguard, so I won't. But you have to promise me that you will never walk around by yourself, stay away from popular spots and if you feel threatened in any way come straight home. Do you understand?"

"Yes, father.", Kaito acknowledged, trying his best to not avert his gaze. His father smiled and he mastered the best smile he could manage at the moment. He breathed a silent sigh of relief when his father turned away, indicating that he luckily hadn't understood the lie.

Kaito hadn't thought what would happen if his father knew about his secret identity thing. Mainly because their relationship was complicated. But now that his father had come before him and told so many truths, he felt a bit guilty that he had lied. And he would certainly feel guilty about the lies he would tell in the future in order to keep saving the world. Rei was lucky that her grandfather knew the truth. But of course the priest was different than his father or the others' relatives. He had spiritual powers and could defend himself if the need arose. He could stall the enemy until someone could come to his aid. But Usagi's family would have been helpless. Ami's parents too. Yukio's uncle, even though trained in combat, wouldn't stand a chance against the foes they were facing. Money wouldn't buy that kind of protection for his father. It would have been worse if they knew. In this case, what they didn't know wouldn't harm them at all. But if they did..

Kaito could describe that predicament only as a disaster.

* * *

Usagi liked Mamoru's company.

He was much better when they weren't fighting, although he would occasionally comment something about her hair or clumsiness. Of course she wouldn't hold back either and come up with a defensive tactic right away. But their teasing wasn't about insulting. Not anymore. They were both laughing, after all, every time it happened. The change had started this morning when Mamoru had called her on the phone to meet up and talk about their problem. She had too heard about the attack on school buses the day before. Why would someone attack little kids? What did they have to offer to a criminal? Despite the grim subject they had discussed about, she had felt delighted when his number had lit the screen of her mobile phone.

Usagi smiled secretly at the thought and took another lick of her chocolate ice cream. She cast a sideways glance to Mamoru who was peacefully sipping his coffee, as they walked through the small streets of a quiet, small neighborhood. They had initially met at the arcade and chatted there for a while, but since they hadn't come up with any idea of what could be happening or if Seijuro and Natsumi were somehow involved, they had decided to get some needed fresh air. And for Usagi air became fresher with ice cream. She wondered why Mamoru had taken coffee though. It was his second cup since they had met up and who knew how many he had drunk before. Maybe he had insomnia problems. She was ready to enquire about this, when another voice beat her to it.

"Mamoru! What have I told you about drinking too much coffee?"

''Huh? Oh.. I'm sorry, but I just can't help it. I promise that I will switch to tea after graduation.''

''I'll take your word for it. Anyhow, did you get injured too in the fire?''

''You were there as well?!'', Usagi unintentionally peeped in. ''Wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to intrude in your personal matters! I am Tsukino Usagi, Mamoru's friend.''

''Not his girlfriend?''

''W-we are not like that.'', Mamoru said.

''Well, it's nice to meet you either way. I am Kagatawa Azumi. Feel free to call me by my first name, please.'', the short-haired woman offered.

''Ms. Azumi is the studio's director's spouse.'', Mamoru explained. ''Also, me and Usagi were in the fire, but as you can see we are fine. Makoto is okay as well.''

''That's good.'', Azumi sighed. ''I heard from my husband that there had been no casualties, but I wanted to make sure.''

''Excuse me, you being here means that you have a baby?'', Usagi eagerly asked, glancing at the small but bright nursery that Kagatawa Azumi was currently inside.

"Oh yes, this is Manami.'', Azumi replied, taking her son in her arms so Usagi could see him better. ''I just came to pick him up. The nursery is closing for today.''

"He is so adorable.", Usagi squealed, ruffling the child's hair as gently as possible. "Unlike my brother.", she added under her teeth.

"He has sure grown from the last time I saw him.", Mamoru claimed.

"Well, we have to see each other for a long t-"

"What's that?", a woman's panicked voice took their attention.

The three looked up and gazed curiously at the cloud of smoke that was forming in the sky. It exploded in a showcase of blinding light and strong gusts of wind, causing everyone to shield their eyes. The cardian responsible wasn't a fan of patience. Her powers swarmed around the area and took the energy of everything they came in contact with. Mamoru pulled Usagi away, an effort that was proved unnecessary since the cardian only attacked the ones who were inside the building. Before the duo could even get a glimpse of the attacker, everything had ended.

Half an hour later, he and Usagi were exiting the hospital with a third member added to their party.

''I don't believe it happened right before our eyes and yet we couldn't do anything.", Usagi sighed, pushing Manamis's stroller forward.

"At least we learnt that whoever is behind the attacks are not after us.", Mamoru thought out loud, as he shuffled around the baby supplies they had been given. The nurses responsible for the nursery's victims had been happy to lend them some. "Have you taken care of a baby before?"

"No.", Usagi shook her head in reply. "I was too little when Shingo was born to actually look after him."

"At least the head nurse gave us a sheet with instructions.", Mamoru pronounced, as they entered his apartment. "I'm sure I will manage somehow.''

"You mean 'we'.", Usagi corrected, getting the baby in her arms, as Mamoru folded the stroller and placed it against the wall of his hall.

"You don't have to stay and help. She is my neighbor.", Mamoru explained. ''She won't be in the hospital for a long time anyway. You heard the doctor. Manami needs to be settled with someone just for today since his father will come back from his business trip tomorrow. The hospital notified him, but he can't come earlier since he is in another country for a film shooting.''

"I really want to stay! It's.. fun spending time with you.", Usagi said, developing a great interest in the baby's sleeping face.

"Oh. Then.. I guess you can stay.", Mamoru responded, purposelessly busying himself in the kitchen. "It's fun being around you, too."

Usagi smiled discreetly at this, placing the baby on the couch and covering it with his soft animal-themed blanket. Tigers. Elephants. Giraffes. All drawn upon a small valley with flowers as red dots in a green landscape. Said blanket was tossed in Usagi's face when the baby suddenly awoke and started crying loudly.

"Oh, no! It's.. it's crying. Mamoru, what do we do?", Usagi panicked, shaking the baby softy in an effort to calm it down.

"He is just hungry.", Mamoru chuckled. Carefully he picked him up and pressed a warm bottle of milk to his mouth. The baby placed both hands on the bottle possessively and kept on drinking even as Mamoru walked over to his couch and sat down.

"You are a natural.", Usagi praised, sitting beside him.

''You think so?'', Mamoru laughed. ''I have never done this before either, you know.''

''Putting our immaturity aside, what are we going to do now?'', Usagi questioned. ''Many people were sent to the hospital today. And Seijuro and Natsumi weren't nearby.''

''We don't know that.'', Mamoru retorted while softly hitting the baby in the back so he could burp. ''They could have been hiding somewhere nearby. There is definitely something wrong with those two.''

''Oh, that reminds me!'', Usagi exclaimed, stopping to giggle at Manami's soft blur. ''I sneaked in the teachers' office yesterday and found Seijuro's and Natsumi's records.''

''Bump head, don't tell me you got caught.'', Mamoru sighed.

''I did not!'', Usagi objected. ''And I found something interesting too. Well, interesting with the bad meaning.''

''Go on.'', Mamoru urged.

''The records were incomplete.'', Usagi revealed, gaining a questioning glance from Mamoru. ''They just included their names, ages and residence. No parents or a way of communication with them.''

''They might be like Makoto.'', Mamoru deduced. ''Her parents had left her money and a house and so when she reached a certain age, she could stay alone under an official's watchful eye of course. But normally at those cases a social worker's name is written in the parent's section. The fact that it was blank.. I don't know what to make of it.''

''And we can't just go and ask them head on.", Usagi muttered. "Like: Good morning, did anyone threaten you today? or Are you a member of a murderous gang by any chance? I am worried that they have gone down the wrong way. Maybe we should go to the authorities."

"They won't believe us without solid evidence.", Mamoru countered. "We are alone in this."

"Somehow I don't feel alone.", Usagi whispered, leaning on Mamoru's arm and looking at Manami's sleeping face.

His arm was warm under his shirt. Warm and soft and a bit hard from all the muscles. Touching him felt natural to her. She wondered if he felt like this too. He hadn't pushed her away after all. When had they become like this? Where had their fiery arguments gone? When had her heart started beating faster every time he was around? Those emotions. They were new but felt old. Like something born anew. Or rather, like something that was always there, but was only now blossoming its way towards the light. It was lovely and serene and calm. No different from the atmosphere around them. Serene. Lovely. Calm.

And then Manami started crying.

* * *

This. Was. The. Worst. Day. Ever.

The sun was too sunny.

The cars were too noisy.

The cardian's attack had been too pathetic.

Hana grunted and leaned against the nearest tree she found available in the small park she was killing her time in. Tokyo sure had a lot of parks. Haruki liked them. She didn't. Why was she here? No particular reason. The green scenery had just popped up in front of her and she had just entered without thinking much about it.

It wasn't fun doing things alone.. Hana knew because she had spent a long time being alone. Not Setsuna-kind of alone, but nevertheless alone. Then Haruki and her two sisters had come along. But Haruki didn't have sisters anymore. Now it was just the two of them.

Hana mentally reprimanded herself for thinking about the past and reprimanded Haruki for going off on her own for the day. It was boring being alone and she wasn't the type to make friends with the first person she saw passing by.

However, her loneliness came to a screeching halt with the most unexpected and unwanted way. She barely registered the Moon princess coming towards her, before she pushed a baby in her arms and took off with the Earth prince in the opposite direction.

Hana blinked. She blinked again. The baby didn't magically go away. She felt a bit relieved when she made sure that she wasn't holding a younger version of either of their children. The future was still intact. Just like Haruki had predicted it. Probably. But then, who was that baby? And more importantly why did they give it to her? Did they.. Did they know? No, they couldn't know. Could they? Hana wished that she had paid mind on Haruki's advice and watched over them. Now she knew nothing about what had transpired after the cardian's attack.

The baby sniffled and opened his eyes. Hana took a deep breath. She could do this. She was a warrior that had lived long-very long- and had fought many battles. She had killed and slaughtered and stabbed and wrestled and destroyed. Her skills were top notch. She was a living weapon. There was no way that she would lose to a battle with a mere human that couldn't even speak at that.

The baby sniffled and looked up at her. She stared, lips pursed into a thin line. And then one of the most horrible sounds she had ever heard came out of the baby's mouth. He wailed and screamed and shouted with Hana wondering how such a small thing could emit such loud noise. But she was a warrior and she would win this battle without fail.

''Shut up or I'll kill you!''

To Hana's surprise the baby wasn't intimidated in the least by her threat. On the contrary, he started crying louder than before, making Hana hold it away from her head in an effort to lower the decibels that entered her hearing system. The weight was suddenly lifted from her arms and the baby stopped crying as Haruki sent a disapproving glance at her friend.

''What? I have never done this sort of thing before.'', Hana huffed.

''Neither have I.'', Haruki sing-sang, rocking the baby in her arms.

''You used to hav- Never mind.''

''Will you tell me how you ended up with a baby in hand, or shall I accustom myself with the fact that you have a son?''

''Get real. Usagi and Mamoru gave it to me and ran off. And yes I don't know why, because I wasn't watching over them.''

''Actually it makes sense since there is a cardian nearby. You stay with the baby, I'll go check.''

''Wh-''

Before she could form a proper word, Hana found herself with a crying baby in her possession once again. Sighing she looked around and moved towards an abandoned stroller, which she bet had been left behind in Usagi's and Mamoru's hurry. Going after enemies without power. How foolish. Foolish and endearing at the same time.

''To think that they would risk their lives for the humans even without knowing that it is their responsibility.''

* * *

The arrow sailed through the air and hit its target in the most favorable spot. Rei smirked approvingly at her handiwork and smiled when Kagari whistled his own approval. He walked over to the target and unstuck the small dart from its center. Walking back to Rei, he threw it back and watched with an expecting expression as the dart hit the wall and fell unceremoniously on the arcade's spotless floor, making a sound that alerted everyone who was nearby to his failure.

"I told you I am not good at this. Now will you please stop laughing?", Kagari pleaded as he and Rei returned to the table they shared with everyone else. They had been down at the control room a few minutes ago, but had eventually decided to take a break. They hadn't gone too far anyway.

Kaito was busy writing and erasing music notes on a small notebook with Ami's eyes switching between the brownish paper and her computer's screen. Satoru was flipping through a newspaper, his eyebrows twitching every time he came across an article about the recent attacks. Makoto was leaning against his shoulder, holding a chocolate milkshake in one hand. Yukio and Minako were sitting at the end of the table, seeming lost in deep thought and exchanging mutual glances every few minutes. Rei was still chuckling every time she glanced at Kagari's pathetic expression.

"Anything new?", Makoto questioned, placing her empty glass on the table.

''Nothing has changed from the last time you asked.", Ami sighed, fingers typing hard on the keyboard in the starting levels of annoyance.

"For the record it was five minutes ago.", Kaito added, equally disturbed by Makoto making the same question over and over again.

"It's a pity that due to the cardian's powers we could only see a blinding light from the street cameras, but I'm sure our alien friends will strike again.", Satoru assured, flipping to another page with a rustling sound. Another article referring to the attacks. Splendid.

"And this time we will be ready for them.", Kunzite declared, meeting Minako's decisive eyes. They all nodded at this statement. They wouldn't let this cardian roam free and terrorize infants for much longer. Not that stopping another minion would be enough. They had to discover the enemy's hideout and end this once and for all. But that was a difficult task to accomplish. Not only didn't they know anything about the hiding place, but they were also unaware of the powers the aliens possessed. Those two had never shown their capabilities in public. Thus, the only thing known about them was that they could somehow create energy-draining monsters. It was a possibility that even with their upgraded powers, they wouldn't be able to fend them off.

''Do Mamoru and Usagi have a child? ", Kagari asked after a bit of silence. Satoru poked his head from behind the newspaper and joined in the confused staring towards Kagari.

"Um.. no. ", Kaito responded unsure of the query's origin.

"Then they must have adopted one, because I am seeing them pass by with a stroller right now. "

"What? ", Yukio bolted from his seat in the same time as everyone else and watched as Mamoru pushed a stroller across the street with Usagi making funny faces at the tiny passenger. Before Minako could bolt outside, Ami cleared her throat, causing everyone to notice that only she and Kagari were still seated and a lot of customers were staring at them with Motoki motioning for them to sit down.

"Mamoru takes care of one of the babies that weren't harmed by the cardian. Usagi is likely helping him.", Ami explained when everyone was seated. "They ended up at the hospital my mother is working at."

"Then those shadows in the recordings were them indeed.", Rei thought out loud. ''I get the feeling that they are hiding something from us lately.''

''At least it doesn't have to do with the enemies.'', Kagari mentioned. ''We would know if they had gotten their memories back. Apollo, Luna and Artemis are checking every day.''

At the mention of their most important problem, uncertainty filled the air around the table almost instantly. They had been hopeful at the beginning, but now they found themselves being unsure. They had realized that this problem was not in their power to fix. Of course they were happy with being in the company of their charges, but a part of them was aching for the deeper connection they shared with them.

Ami's computer beeped, snapping silence and thought.

The cardian was back.

* * *

 _Jadeite was standing in front of the temple, waiting. It was the crack of dawn and the sky was painted in soft hues of orange, pink and purple. Every time the sun was peeking out an inch more from behind the mountains, his feet would sway a little, telling him to go back at his safe sanctuary. Where he could not hurt anyone. But then his eyes would fall at his hands, at the sharp steel of the prince's sword, at the golden hilt that glinted in the early sunlight._

 _"Return this to me."_

 _Jadeite had thought that it had been his time to die, when he had heard the prince drawing out his sword. But instead the young heir had stuck his sword to the ground and said those words, making Jadeite turn to face him for the first time. The prince's eyes were similar to his own. A deep intense blue, flanked by midnight raven hair. He had said nothing more and had just left, his boots joining the crackling of the fire in a small symphony of sounds._

 _But it wasn't in that moment that Jadeite had decided to follow him. His actions had only brought confusion after all. He had been comprehending who would be suitable to return the sword to his owner, when the last person he wanted to see had forced her way into the room. He had staggered back in shock, his back touching the flames but not burning. He had shouted at her to stay away, but his words had fallen on deaf ears. He had squirmed in her embrace, but she hadn't let go. She had spoken only when he had gotten too tired -emotionally and physically- to resist further. She had brought him at arm's length and had smiled. Then he had seen her hands. Not red, but white. Not hard, but soft. Not scarred, but healed._

 _He had burned her years ago, when she still had been the doctor responsible for his family. He had been sick with fever, muttering nonsense, hallucinating and moving restlessly around. His power had lashed out while she was trying to keep him still. She had fallen to the ground with a scream, her hands lifted defensively in front of her face. He only remembered seeing her sobbing in the corner, her eyes fixed on her bloody hands, before passing out. He had destroyed her carrier because of it. How could she work as a doctor with hands that jolted with pain if pushed too hard? He had hated himself for it. And he had hated himself even more, when he had welcomed him at her new working place as a herbalist in a temple that busied itself with offering medical help to the poor. Despite her forgiveness, he had resolved not to use his power ever again. Not even to light a single candle._

 _"The prince healed me. He is young, but he can help you. Follow him."_

 _Thanks to those words, he was now waiting for the prince to pick him up. He sure was nervous, but at the same time glad that he still wanted him in his company, despite his insolent behavior. He hoped that his comrades would be of the same thinking as well. Being surrounded by people who loathed him wasn't on Jadeite's agenda for the things he wanted to accomplish in his life. A horse's loud neigh snapped Jadeite out of his thoughts and he bowed on one knee as the prince's carriage stopped in front of the temple, the sword offered forward in the safety of his hands. He dared to take a peek from under his curly locks and found himself both satisfied and dissatisfied with the result. His three comrades were riding horses. One with hair in a similar hue as his own, but significantly longer was offering a small but genuine smile. The only brunette of the company was sending a knowing smile his way, that he found both perplexing and encouraging. He noticed the third one when he dismounted and moved to open the carriage's door. His silver eyes were speaking of disapproval and annoyance and Jadeite found the need to hide further beneath his rich bangs. The steel brushed lightly against his fingers and made an almost hissing sound as it was pushed in its rightful place._

 _As of that day he had joined the prince in his palace. The trust of his leader had been difficult to achieve, but somehow he had managed. They had lived and trained and learned together. They had vowed eternal companionship and to protect each other against all odds._ _They had become brothers in all but blood. They were like five puzzle pieces, each one different and unique yet fitting perfectly with the others and forming an unbreakable bond. A bond that was getting stronger and stronger as the power of the Golden crystal grew. As Endymion slowly learnt to control it, to shape it to his will. Yes. It was Endymion that had brought them together. From his first day at the palace, Jadeite had arrived at the conclusion that he would never betray him. Willingly he would never._


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Happy new year everyone!**

 **Chapter 11: Erased**

They arrived the moment the cardian was ready to gather more energy. Not having enough time to execute her newest attack, Minako opted for her crescent beam, successfully stopping the cardian's attack for the time being. Cruel eyes turned towards her, but no attack came even as Sailor Venus was joined by her teammates. Ιnstead, the cardian flew further upwards in order to gain some distance and smirked down at those who had interrupted her work. An orange bubble materialized in her hand and she blew it away, causing many large copies of it to appear and capture whoever was nearby. The caretakers and the babies couldn't do anything as they hovered in the sky, trapped inside the bubbles.

''She's shielding herself with them!'', Kagari said, barely avoiding getting trapped as well.

''You think?'', Kaito scoffed, dodging away from the same fate.

''We can't attack her like this.'', Kunzite disclosed.

''Could you please stop pointing out the obvious and form a plan?'', Kaito requested.

''Unless we find a way to free the civilians, we can't attack her.'', Ami stated, scanning with her visor for an opening but finding none.

''But she can and eventually will attack us!'', Makoto observed. ''What if we strike from above?''

''That part is covered too.'', Satoru informed, having a better point of view thanks to the stars.

''Watch out!''

Not a moment passed after Rei's warning and three thunder-like beams of energy maneuvered between the bubbles, heading straight for the cardian's opponents. Kagari's fire clashed with one of them and the Shittenou found himself pushed slightly back by the explosion that occurred, clutching his left arm with a painful hiss. Makoto's thunder canceled the second beam just before it could hit her, Yukio and Ami. But Minako wasn't so lucky. Her attack missed by an inch and she bumped on an unprepared Satoru before they toppled to the ground by the force of the enemy's assault. They hit a parking lot's wall, quite a few houses away from the day care facility. The cardians were getting stronger and stronger. Kaito cursed internally and hurried after them to check for any injuries, barely missing the cardian's next set of beams in his haste. He and Yukio were ready to help them up, when a familiar voice filled the air.

''It's another one of those things!''

Usagi stepped into the empty road, nearly out of breath, and regarded the situation with wide eyes. One of those monsters that were appearing everywhere lately was hovering in midair, surrounded by a bunch of orange orbs that held trapped people inside them. Behind the few unoccupied bubbles she could some free people, obviously staring back at her. By the outlines of their clothing she could tell that they were the ones she and Mamoru had encountered in the virtual reality theater way back then. The question was: what were they doing here? Were they somehow involved in this mess? Were they the ones behind it? A shiver run down her spine and Usagi looked back up to find the strange monstrosity glaring down at her with narrowed eyes. Before her instinct could make her take a step back, orange strings appeared out of the monster's hands and sailed pass the bubbles toward her. Mamoru pulled her back at the last minute, the impact made when the strings hit the ground causing them to glide on the hard concrete with an alarmed cry.

The second attempt on draining their energy was flawlessly intercepted by Makoto, who glared up at the cardian who dared to aim her attack against her princess and prince. Seeing this the cardian changed from defense to offence in a whim. Makoto was thrown backwards by the beam, leaving Mamoru and Usagi vulnerable once more. In their current situation they wouldn't be able to get up and escape fast enough.

It was then that Ami spotted it. Behind her visor, her blue eyes narrowed in deep thought. The opening was clearly there because the cardian was busy with Usagi and Mamoru. It was accidental and small and it wouldn't last for too long. None of their attacks were good enough to reach the cardian from it. They were either too big or too sharp or too uncontrollable. And as usual her mist was useless. If she used it now, the situation was going to get only worse. If she had been training more than reading, then maybe she would have gotten a new power like Minako had. She startled slightly when Kaito got hold of her hand. He squeezed it gently, his eyes full of understanding, like he had been reading her thoughts.

''Your abilities are not useless.''

 _''What?''_

 _''I said that your abilities are not useless.''_

 _''Oh. I appreciate the compliment, princess. I never thought that they were, though.''_

 _''But.. I saw you training with the others today. You seemed kind of blue when you left.''_

 _''Rest assured, princess, I am well aware of my place. The powers granted by my planet are to serve as a steady defense not a strong attack. There is no evolution waiting for me there. I will be of better service to you if I sharp the mind instead of the sword. Venus, Mars and Jupiter are better suited for the later art.''_

 _''But they can't stop the enemy from attacking.''_

 _''Pardon me?''_

 _''I know close to nothing about war, but if success rests on destroying the enemy's ability to attack, they won't be able to do it. I have seen their powers and you are right. Their powers aim for the kill, the injury, the annihilation. This is their way of protecting. Because your powers are different, it doesn't mean that you can't also be a protector. I'm pretty sure the silver crystal didn't bring you all the way to the Moon in order to be an information machine. I believe in you. And the other girls do too. From the moment we took our oaths we became something more than friends. We became family. Believe in yourself.''_

Usagi's eyes were frightened. Makoto was still suffering from the after effects of the cardian's attack. Kagari was kneeling on the ground, clutching his palm like it was going to fall off if he didn't. The cardian was ready to strike. Rei was running towards them. She wouldn't make it in time. The others were too far away. Teleporting in front of them wasn't the best option. Ami didn't register Kaito leaving her gloved hand, while muttering something about it being cold. The attack came to life almost mechanically. It left the captives unharmed as it passed by them and trapped the cardian in hard ice. The captives were lowered safely to the ground, their confinements dispelling and vanishing. The caretakers rushed to take the children inside and call the police and their parents. Seeing that no civilian was in danger now, Kaito formed a sharp crystal in his hand and directed it towards the frozen cardian. It pierced straight through her abdomen and shattered the ice into tiny pieces that melted immediately under the eye of the sun.

This time they didn't stick around in the crime scene for long. The moment the cardian was destroyed, Minako motioned for everyone to leave, her eyes silently pointing towards Mamoru who was in the process of helping Usagi on her feet. Everyone understood that they couldn't stay longer and left the day care center in favor of the control center.

Only one of the phantoms was present that time, but that didn't mean that she was alone. Haruki dusted herself off before getting up and balancing on the tree branch she had been previously sitting on. She shot an approving smile at Usagi's lookalike and turned her back to leave after she received a mutual gesture. Leaving Hana alone with a baby for vast periods of time wasn't recommended by well.. anyone. But there was one thing that she simply had to say before her departure.

"You are becoming silver. I assume that he too is almost gold.''

* * *

The small lamp fell from the table and shattered on the carpeted floor, its pieces scattering around the apartment's living room. A plate went to follow suit, but Eiru prevented the tragedy before it could occur.

''Calm down, An. Nothing is going to change by breaking stuff around the house.''

An pushed Eiru's hand away. "We have lost many cardians because of them." She moved to the balcony, pink hair getting messy by the wind. "It's because we can't send more than one cardian at a time. Maybe we should give it a shot though."

Eiru fixed the broken lamp with a snap of his fingers and moved to lean against the balcony rail. "We don't have enough energy to do this. Maintaining even one is a struggle at this point. The energy we gather only last us for a few days. We won't be able to survive for long if this situation continues."

"The source of the problem is too strong.'', An barked, the metal of the railing bending against her hold. Eiru placed a hand on top of her own, making her turn towards him. By the dark look on his face she could tell that he had a plan. ''Are you going to enlighten me any time soon or..?"

"It is not they that are unbeatable, it is us that have been playing the game wrong from the beginning. An, what are the cardians?"

"Why, our energy collectors of course. Why ask such a stupid thing?"

"Your answer is wrong."

"What do you mean my answer is wrong?! You made them using the Tree's energy in order to be of use to us didn't you?"

"Exactly. Be of use to us. Any use. Not just collectors. They are our mindless slaves. Our puppets. They will do what we tell them. They will be what we tell them and take our order as their top priority. They will put their lives on the line to fulfill our desires."

"Ah, I see where this is going. You are saying that the cardians weren't effective against our foes, because they were glued on gathering energy. "

Eiru brought a hand around An's waist and teleported inside their secret room. The Tree was in a worse condition than before. If nothing was done, soon it would wither, taking their lives along with it. "The only thing that stands between us and victory is our false tactic." The flute was summoned in Eiru's hand. "The only thing we have to do is change the order from collector to murderer."

* * *

It was frustrating how one person could feel more than one thing at the same time. Joy. Relief. Concern. Fear. All mixed up together in a blender like that purple one Usagi's mother was using every time she decided to make a cake. Expect that Usagi liked cake, but not mixed feelings. Cake was sweet and fluffy. It melted instantly in your mouth, leaving a savory flavor that beckoned you to eat more and more. But mixed feelings weren't this way. They formed a bitter substance that stuck in the middle of your throat, pressuring you to make a choice.

Should Usagi pass Mamoru's troubled expression off and continue smiling to herself while thinking about the fact that Manami had spoken their names? Should she let the relief of finding Manami safe and sound with the girl she had given him to and her friend embrace her like a blanket? Should she ask about Mamoru's problem? Or should she let the small flicker of fear in the back of her mind envelope her very soul? Making decisions sometimes could be proven really troublesome.

Luckily for her, Mamoru made the choice for the both of them. He stopped walking a few houses away from her own. After they had returned the baby to his father, he had offered to take her home. They hadn't taken the motorcycle. And they had taken a rather long route. Mamoru had wanted to tell her something from the beginning, but was hesitating.

"Listen, Usagi. About what happened today.."

"I know I shouldn't have rushed in." Regardless of what Mamoru wanted to say, Usagi felt the need to explain herself. "Handing over Manami to the first person I found was a little- no totally out of the line.. but she seemed like a nice girl somehow. And everything turned out alright in the end. But I have no excuse of jumping in front of that monster like that. If those strange people weren't there.. "

"Actually, it's about them that I want to talk about." Mamoru's gaze was lacking its usual light and Usagi found her heart sink in the sight of it. It felt wrong and unnatural seeing his blue eyes in such a state. "You saw them, right? How many were there?"

"Um.. about eight I think. Why.. is this so important? We are aiming for finding out if Seijuro and Natsumi are somehow involved in those bad doings. Those people are saviors. They are the heroes, the good guys. They have protected us before. I don't know how they do those magical things and are dressed like anime characters, but I know that they are with our side, the side of the people."

"I never said that they weren't. But I'm concerned because.. we do know a certain newly established group of eight people.. "

Usagi blinked in surprise. She of course knew what thought Mamoru had in mind. They hadn't seen their friends in a while, but that didn't mean that they had turned into super heroes behind their backs. Besides, they were friends. If they had any problems they would surely share it with her and Mamoru. They wouldn't leave them out. They couldn't. That would equal betrayal and mistrust. Usagi didn't like being neither betrayed nor mistrusted. It was impossible. She and Mamoru were always friendly and kind to their friends. There was no way the group of eight would do such a horrible, horrible thing as lying.

Usagi's mind said eight, but she didn't know the two last additions to the group. Neither did Mamoru. Motoki had told them about it one day. He had said that the first was an intimidating man in Mamoru's age with silver hair and eyes. The other one was a blonde that attended the same university as him. Unfortunately, Motoki hadn't been able to catch their names. He had told them that they had a habit of hanging out a lot at the arcade. At least one of them could be found there every day. But most of the time they were coming as a group.

The truth was that they hadn't believed him about the former until they saw said mysterious man with Minako one day. He sure was the intimidating kind of person. And he indeed had silver hair. Usagi could imagine him fighting monsters. But the others.. She accidentally released a choked laugh at that. It was true that appearances could deceive, but this time thinking like that was a little over the top. Okay. Maybe Makoto was an exception. With her strength she could certainly-

Usagi forced her trail of thought to a halt and met Mamoru's now almost cold eyes with her wide ones.

"Don't tell me that the girl who protected us was.. "

Mamoru's silence was answer enough. "There is no mistake. I would recognize her anywhere. She is my sister after all."

"Then there is a possibility that the others are also.."

"Usagi.. A long time has passed since we last saw Motoki."

"Yeah."

* * *

Rei was happy that her memories were back.

If they weren't back she wouldn't have three wonderful friends and an equally wonderful boyfriend that had offered to help out at the Shrine because she couldn't be there. And also she wouldn't have a wonderful pianist helping her write a song for her festival. And soon she was certain that she would have her wonderful princess and prince back as well.

"That's it I think we are done here."

Rei stirred at her position in front of Kaito's piano. "Are you sure? Maybe we should revise it one more time. See if the lyrics match up and stuff."

"No. " Kaito got up from the piano's seat and gathered the musical piece Rei had created. "I have already memorized the notes. Years of playing piano does that to you. You worked really hard for this. I'm sure it will turn out just fine."

"I appreciate your assistance."

"I just memorized your work. It's nothing special. But you are quite welcome."

Rei exited Kaito's house and sat herself on the passenger seat of his car. "Writing the song and composing the music was even more time-consuming than organizing the entire culture festival. Everyone needed my help and most of them asked the same questions again and again. And some people kept making silly mistakes. It's a miracle I managed to pull it through." They sped up on the highway. "By the way, did the others tell you about the fashion show?"

Kaito took a turn in the direction of the arcade. "There's even a fashion show? "

"Yeah, I guess you can call it that. The thing is if a girl from my school asks you to participate in it, decline. Decline and ran away like your life depends on it. I am saying it because you are my friend and my pianist. Partners shouldn't embarrass each other. "

"I don't completely understand, but I'll take your word for it."

"Good." They entered the arcade and after exchanging greetings with Motoki, sat themselves at the usual table with the usual people.

"So, how did the rehearsal go?", Kagari asked.

"Everything is ready. The festival begins in one hour." Rei eyed the pie Satoru had ordered distrustfully. "But me and Kaito have to be there half an hour earlier."

"I will eat it before the time comes. Makoto help me with it."

"My lemonade deserves more attention."

"Don't worry, I'll help you."

"The offer doesn't extend to you, Kagari."

"Stingy, aren't we?"

"You can eat at the festival."

"Oh, yes.", Rei affirmed. "The cooking club has done a wonderful job this year."

"The computer club's presentation was my favorite.", Kaito said.

Ami set her book on the table. "You two have seen them already?"

"Since we will be busy with the show, I took Kaito on a tour before we went to his house."

"They have clubs about anything. Sewing. Animals. Swimming. Fashion. Martial arts."

"Martial arts, eh? That's something my uncle would like to see. He gets excited every time the new generation shows interest in them."

"Speaking about uncles." Minako tightened her red ribbon. "Will yours come, Rei?"

"Of course he will. Yuuko will take care of the Shrine in our absence."

"Can't you just close it down for a few hours so she can also-"

A shadow fell on top of their table and Minako looked up to see Mamoru standing above them. It was clear as day that something was off about him. His grip on his bag was strong. Yukio could see his fingers trembling from his seat on the far end of the table. His stance was tense. His eyes hidden behind his bangs. Usagi was standing a few footsteps behind him. She was hugging her bag like a teddy bear, squeezing it so much that her knuckles had developed a somewhat reddish coloring. She was biting her lip every once in a while. Opening her mouth and closing it again. She wanted to say something, but didn't know how.

Mamoru walked towards Makoto, who was sipping at her lemonade while trying to make something out of the situation. "Does it hurt anywhere? That blast the monster gave you yesterday seemed pretty strong." And with that simple phrase Mamoru seized the oxygen hovering around the table and tossed it out of the arcade.

The straw slipped from Makoto's lips as her mind took a few moments to process the situation. Finally, an awkward smile made it to her mouth. ''I don't understand-'

''Stop fooling around with me!''

The bang that followed Mamoru's words caused everyone to freeze even more. Makoto's lemonade spilled on the tablecloth, having taking the toll of Mamoru's hand hitting the table. Slowly his head jerked up from its crouched position, his hair parting away to reveal his eyes. Chilling blue orbs were squinting, glaring, filled with accusations, distress, anger, mistrust. Every muscle on his face was tense and hardened as he glanced at every person individually as if invoking some kind of judgement. As if expecting someone to speak up. But no one did.

Usagi took a step back. The normally insignificant sound spread like a hurricane in the silent arcade. The costumers had stopped chatting after Mamoru's outburst. Motoki was leaning over the counter, eyebrows knitted in concern. His sister stood half-hidden on the staircase leading to the second floor. ''So, it is true after all.'' She clutched her back tighter, eyes glistering with unshed tears. ''You.. you are all a bunch of filthy liars. I hate you! I absolutely hate you! Don't you dare come near me-us again!''

And then there was the sound of shoes banging on the floor and the chiming of the doorbell signaling Usagi's depart. Minako's hand was still grasping a standing Rei's arm when Mamoru moved. His palm, now a bit red on the center, withdrew from the table. His steps were slow-tyrannically slow-, filled with a calm anger of some sort. He muttered an apology to Motoki before following Usagi's example.

Even with them gone, the silence continued.

* * *

Mamoru's apartment was locked. Makoto pressed her key against the lock with a long breath. She exhaled. Mamoru's key wasn't on the other side of the lock. Three turns and she stepped inside. She left her shoes next to his own and slipped on her pair of slippers.

The living room would have been pitch black if it weren't for the silly commercial playing on the television. There was a half-finished glass of red wine on the table. Its presence didn't ease Makoto's mind. It was a small amount, but Mamoru had never been fond of alcohol. He only drank when he had company. Coffee and tea were his favorites with juices following close behind.

"How did you know it was me?"

There was no point in denying it anymore so she cut straight to the point. She had to admit that she was a bit curious about the answer. Mamoru unburied his face from his hands and moved on his armchair. He peered up at her with tired eyes. "Not many people have scars shaped like half stars on their right leg."

"You noticed it when I jumped in front of you."

Mamoru nodded numbly. "Do you remember how you got it? It was about a year ago. You had a fight with someone from one of your previous schools. I remember it because he had burned you with a lighter and you needed hospital transition."

 _Being pushed against the wall. People laughing. The guy bringing out a lighter from his pocket._

"I remember. I was forced to put that nasty cream on my leg for two weeks." She chuckled. He didn't. It wasn't time for jokes, then.

"I thought you had finally found a school to fit in. I thought you wouldn't have to fight again. To suffer like this. And now I discover this." He got up and grabbed Makoto's arm. "How did you end up battling like that? Who got you involved? "

"I got involved by my own will."

Mamoru let go. "I don't understand."

"I know. But I am not doing things that I cannot handle. You have to trust me on this."

"How can I trust you? Why didn't you tell me of this dangerous situation?"

"It's not dangerous. Okay, it is.. but we can pull through it."

"How do you know this? Can you see the future? Because if you can then by all means guarantee that you all are going to be saved! That none of you is going to get severely injured or.. or worse! Are you listening to me?!"

No. Makoto was not listening. She had stopped listening in the middle of Mamoru's speech. Mamoru followed her wide gaze to the television and gaped at the horrid display that met his eyes. It was an image. Rei's back was turned at him, but he could see. He was to be a doctor. He could see the red liquid flowing from a wound on her chest. He could see Kaito lying on his stomach a few feet away. And he could certainly see another one of the monsters floating in midair.

"Shit.", he muttered and made for the door.

At that moment Makoto remembered the plan. The reason she had come to Mamoru's apartment. She ran after him and grabbed his arm. He turned to her bewildered, but Makoto didn't let him speak.

"Mamoru. I'm so sorry."

A sharp pain on the head and Mamoru's world went black.

* * *

Ami found Usagi on an old playground. The scene was resembling a horror movie really. The swings were swaying alone in the breeze. The slide had been removed, leaving only a big hole behind as a witness to its existence. The seesaw was broken, covered with dust and mud. The construction Usagi was sitting on was rusty and seemed ready to crumble at any moment. It was meant to be a challenge for children to climb on, but for a teenage girl it was no big deal. She climbed up easily and sat beside Usagi.

The blonde didn't move. Her head kept hiding between her bent legs, her hands serving as an extra security measure. If it weren't for the occasional sobs that shook her body, Ami would have thought that she had fallen asleep.

"Motoki made you some chocolate." Usagi didn't react. Ami held back a sigh, as she placed the plastic glass next to Usagi's feet. "Drink it before it gets cold. "

"I am not very strong."

"Usagi.. "

"..and I am not doing well at school.'' She unburied her face and glanced at Ami with glassy blue eyes. Her tears had left dry traces on her cheeks just like the raindrops do in a dusty window. ''I like sleeping late and having fun. I'm a klutz and I mess up sometimes. But I always make up for my mistakes and try to be helpful even when I don't know how to help. Does this make me so unreliable to you? Is this why you kept secrets from me?"

Ami threw her arms around her and drew her close just like she had done a million times in the past when her little princess had nightmares. At such nights they would all climb on her massive bed and they would talk until she fell asleep again. These days Ami found herself missing those times more and more. ''You are not unreliable. But sometimes people keep secrets to keep someone important to them safe. Have you never done something like this?''

Usagi remembered what she and Mamoru were doing. ''Yes, I have.'' She didn't know if she should tell them about it. Mamoru had to consent on it first, since they were doing it together. Ami offered her the sweet beverage with a smile and this time Usagi accepted it. Thankfully, it was still warm. It sent a relaxing sensation through her body. ''You are going to include us in this from now on, aren't you?''

''As long as you know, we have no other choice. It's not like we can keep you away like this.''

''Good.'' Usagi finished her drink in one go and set the plastic container aside. ''Where did you find those weapons?''

Ami blinked. ''Weapons?''

''You know. When Makoto jumped in front of us yesterday, there was this antenna coming out of her tiara that spark with electricity. And you did a thing with your hands and.. suddenly..'' Usagi yawned, eyes drooping. ''.. suddenly the air became.. quite chilly. ..and Kaito.. that crystal thingy that hit the monster was.. was so-''

Ami was ready to catch Usagi when her limp form fell backwards. Carefully she placed her on the construction they were sitting on, sending silent apologies all the while. She was glad that the half sleeping pill she had mixed inside her chocolate was enough for her to fall asleep. She would have hated to add more of it in her system. She hated putting even the little she had, but it was necessary.

Luna climbed on the construction with a single jump and hovered over Usagi's form. "Is it done? " Ami nodded and slided down to the ground. Luna needed some privacy to perform her spell correctly without any brain damage being created. She opened her computer and scanned the perimeter for any human activity. Even as Luna's mark started glowing, no human appeared to interrupt the process. A faint sound reached her ears and she reached for her communicator, ready to report to her leader about the situation.

Instead Makoto's terror-stricken face stared up at her.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12: Withering ties**

The auditorium was filled with explosions. Explosions of uncontrollable laughter. The kind of laughter that starts from a small series of chuckles and ends up as a symphony ofo shallow breaths and aching ribs. This year's fashion show had begun.

Rei had always made a habit of mocking the unfortunate victims. It was easy to be one of the many spectators laughing as the models were ridiculing themselves. Because it was the audience laughing. Not Rei. The audience. But now laughter seemed distant and strange to her. After all that had happened. After the plan her leader had proposed. After his leader had said that there was no other choice. And there really wasn't.

She managed a half-hearted laugh. She hadn't expected the day that she would have to play with her charge's mind would come. She took a deep breath. She needed to focus. Be calm, sing her song and check on Usagi and Mamoru. She really wanted to sing her song. Even though no one dear to her was in the crowd. No one she would like to perform especially for. Makoto and Ami were executing the plan. The plan whose outcome she would learn hours later. Kagari should have reached the Shrine by now. He would have sat in front of the fire, asking for guidance. Her grandpa, after learning about their situation, wouldn't come. As a priest, he would definitely help Kagari with his task. As for Satoru, he would be standing in the Shrine's courtyard, physically there but not mentally. The signal was better in spiritual places. Nevertheless her song was going to be heard. She had written it for Usagi after all.

"Think fast."

Her Senshi instinct kicked in and she grabbed the bottle of cold water before it could hit her head. Kaito slumbed beside her on the piano's bench and opened the hatch that hid the black and white keys. His fingers were itching to play. Her voice was demanding a song. She drank the water with one breath and threw it away. It landed in the trash can without a sound.

"We are out in three. If you are not ready..''

''I am ready.''

''..we can cancel.''

Rei shook her head, trying to ignore the mix of negative feelings that Kaito was giving off. She imagined that she wasn't better herself, having let the control over her powers slip a little. Her control wasn't supposed to slip! Stupid emotions. Always so raw and unpredictable. Always against her, but with her at the same time. She moved slowly to the center of the stage and adjusted the microphone to her height as the curtains opened to reveal the awaiting audience. The introduction speech she had learnt by heart flowed mechanically through her mouth while her eyes searched for any familiar faces.

All of her classmates were there. Happy faces smiling up at her with admiration. They all loved Rei. Because it was so cool working at a Shrine. Because who else could tell a person's future? Because she was a pretty face. But she had heard them many times speaking behind her back. Being a priestess was lame. She was a cold hearted slut. Her fortunes were rubbish. The coin would be flipping forever. They wanted her to be in charge of the festival? Rei was the best. But she is boring so no one must hang out with her on the breaks. And she would keep pretending. Because otherwise the chances she would burn her school to a crisp were pretty high.

To say she wasn't surprised when she found her grandpa among the crowd would be a lie. He was right there in the first row beside her classmates, who were now only ghosts of people in her vision. Now it was only her grandpa, Kaito and herself. By the time she started singing, she was feeling better. She put all her feelings into the lyrics, losing herself in the memories she had of her past and present life. Her heart was beating fast. She could almost see it now. The auditorium melted into the white walls of the Moon castle. The audience disappeared. The music faded away. She reached out and clasped Serenity's wrist.

 _"How long are you going to be doing this? The Terrans are not to be trusted. The law is there to protect us."_

 _"Endymion would never hurt me."_

 _"And what of his generals?"_

 _"They are his trusted advisors and friends. The same as you. If he trusts them then so do I."_

 _"Serenity. I have a bad feeling about this. Forget about him. They are many consorts you can choose from the other pl-"_

 _Sailor Mars clutched her throbbing cheek and stared at the angry eyes of her charge. The blow hadn't been strong enough to make her stumble back, but at the moment the pain in her heart was far greater than any other pain. Her princess wasn't a teenage girl in love now, but a full grown woman ready to succeed the throne. She kneeled in front of her and hang her head ready to hear what her princess had to say. Had she really gone too far? Was her love really that strong? Of course it was. Serenity's feelings were always like that._

 _"I will never betray nor forget him."_ _Serenity's hand lifted her friend's face and she looked up at kind blue eyes. ''We have.. vowed to be together.''_

 _''Vowed? Princess this is-''_

 _Serenity stood and started pacing around, the soft clicking of her heels following her movements. ''Inappropriate. Scandalous. Treason. I don't care. Mother will understand.'' Her steps faltered. ''And if she doesn't.. I'm willing to pay the price. You understand, don't you? The others will understand, right? You won't abandon me, will you?''_

 _Sailor Mars got on her feet and embraced her princess reassuringly, her vision being filled with yellow as a result. Serenity hugged back tightly, allowing all her insecurities to flee from her mind. The Senshi of Mars pondered over the situation. She had seen with her eyes and sensed with her powers how strong Serenity's and her prince's affections were. And she had also established that those Shittenou of his bore no ill will against them. But uncertainty was weighing on her, leading to that fruitless attempt. An attempt she knew to be so from the start. But nevertheless she had tried. The flames were humming songs of blood. Smoke was dancing on a battlefield. But as long as Serenity was happy, then so be it._

 _''..We will always be with you no matter what.''_

The auditorium filled with claps as Rei sang the last part of her song. Even the previously gloomy Kaito looked up and offered an appreciative smile to the crowd. Rei bowed deeply, glad that she had at least made her friend feel a little better. And then Kaito slammed into her, resulting in both of them falling off the stage and landing rather unceremoniously on the hard concrete. In-between Kaito's hair and despite her aching body Rei managed to decipher the reason she had been body slammed to the ground.

A mermaid was standing on the stage on the exact spot she had been standing a few seconds ago. Her blue tail had impaled the smooth surface, forming a huge hole in it. With a terrible screech she rose into the air, leaving a series of dust and broken wood in her wake. The air was her ocean. The humans her prey. She swam fastly in her invisible water, activating her draining spell.

Rei knew without sensing it that the orange sparkles that were falling toward the crowd- toward her- were bad news. She didn't protest when Kaito half-dragged her to her feet and they took cover under the auditorium's seats. The foreign magic invaded whatever living thing it touched, draining its energy and delivering it to the Tree without delay. Rei's bodily pain melted away when she transformed and she put away the thought of its return. She imagined that Kaito was thinking the same as they leapt in the air towards the creature. From the corner of her eye, she spotted her grandpa safely hidden underneath a chair.

Kaito's crystals pierced the air like bullets, gifting the cardian with an arm wound. She hissed angrily at him as a green substance flowed from the cut. She lunged at him only for something to wrap around her tail and pull her down to the stage. She crashed violently on the wood as Rei retrieved her fire whip with a victorious smirk. The stage's floor exploded as the cardian freed herself, but the priest of the Hikawa Shrine had created a shield to protect the civilians long before the debris came toward them.

Rei and Kaito didn't let the chance slip by. The latter was on the stage in a matter of seconds, the flooring turning to crystal the moment his feet touched the surface. It rapidly advanced toward the cardian and trapped the lower part of her tail in a well-made prison. She struggled to break free, but Kaito kept a good hold of his power. Rei was upon her almost immediately. She smirked victoriously as she watched her flames feast on the enemy. But it didn't last long. Water surrounded the cardian's body and the fire died.

Sailor Mars had barely enough time to register what had transpired before the cardian's pink hair grew longer and flew past her, slashing her cheek in the process.

Kaito screamed somewhere in the background.

His voice died.

He knelt on the ground before losing consciousness.

His power turned into thin air.

There was a pounding pain in Rei's chest, before everything turned black.

* * *

Usagi's screams were loud enough to wake Ikuko up from her nap. The mother of two kids bolted immediately from the living room's couch and dashed for her older child's door already dreading for the worst scenario. She opened the door with so much strength that it hit the wall with a resounding sound.

And yet Usagi didn't wake from her slumber. She kept on screaming and muttering in her sleep, her hair and covers disheveled from moving around. Fresh tears were brimming in her eyes and sweat was running down her horror stricken face.

Ikuko threw the messy covers away and pulled her daughter into a tight hug. She held on despite Usagi's savage screams and rushing movements. Despite the nails feasting on her skin. Usagi finally relaxed and fell on her mother's arms like a drop of water in a serene lake. Her breaths were still uneven as Ikuko placed her back on the bed and covered her frail body with the previously discarded blanket. She sat by her side and rubbed her back while humming a sweet lullaby from her own childhood years. She wouldn't leave her daughter's side until she woke up. Lost in her thoughts as she was, she failed to notice Usagi's glassy eyes staring at her before hiding once more beneath curtains of the finest black.

 _There was fog everywhere she looked. Exactly like last time. Somehow she knew that she was dreaming, but that didn't make seeing the same horrid things again and again any better._

 _The fog turned black and she was yet again choking on smoke. But this time she didn't need to blindly crawl around until she found an escape route. Her hand reached for the doorknob that she knew was going to be there and yanked the door open, chasing the smoke away._

 _That man was still there. Kneeling on the ground. Holding the still form of a girl in his arms. Sobbing uncontrollably. A raven's feathers were falling from above, making black the only color in the white room. Yet again Usagi couldn't prevent the tears from escaping her eyes. She sobbed uncontrollably along with the mysterious man, their cries mixing in a horrid song of mourning. She cried and waited. Waited for the darkness to come and claim her just like last time. And indeed it came. But this time in a different way._

 _Instead of enveloping her in its depths, it expanded in front of her as if it was handing her an invitation to enter on her own. She couldn't see the couple anymore, but the man's cries were still echoing in the background. Tentatively she wiped her eyes, but took no step forward. For she still recalled what had happened in her previous dream. A terrible cry was heard from the darkness. Usagi's heart missed a beat and she turned around to flee from it in tears._

 _Someone pushed her away from her path. The darkness ate away on her vision as she fell in its depths. Images she couldn't comprehend were rushing around her, causing the darkness to dissolve. When she reached the blazing inferno below, Mamoru's phantom smile was still present in her mind's eye._

 _The dream was different from before. The flames didn't burn her. They swirled around her instead. They danced and shifted until a path was opened for her to walk on. She felt like thanking them but quickly changed her mind. This was a dream. Fire wasn't alive._

 _The sobs returned. Usagi didn't encounter any difficulty with finding her way. For the path was leading straight to Rei. Rei who was on her knees, clutching her upper body in agony. Rei whose forehead was touching the cold ground. Whose body was shaking uncontrollably with every ounce of air it consumed._

 _"It hurts. It hurts."_

 _The chants vibrated in Usagi's soul. Something twisted inside her heart. Her eyes went wide with tears slipping past her reddened cheeks, staining her rosy pajamas. She wanted to hug Rei tightly. She wanted to lift her face of the floor and cast away her pain. To assure her that everything was going to be okay. But her feet were feeling rebellious. She tried to take a step forward to no avail. They were stubbornly rooted to the ground. They couldn't-wouldn't- move._

 _And so with nothing left to do, Usagi screamed. She screamed Rei's name again and again. Until her throat went dry. Until it hurt for her to even draw a breath. She coughed violently, allowing some stray teardrops to enter her mouth._

 _Rei remained unresponsive. Still curled up on herself, she kept sobbing and chanting without break. She couldn't hear her. She probably couldn't see her either. Usagi didn't exist for her. For when finally Rei stopped her tantrum and lifted her gaze it wasn't because of Usagi's pleas._

 _Instead Usagi was left watching dumbfounded as a heavenly being did all the things she so desperately wanted to. Usagi doubted she was human. The possibility of her jumping straight out of a painting seemed more likely to her. The artist had made an uncommon choice of outfit, yet somehow familiar to Usagi's eyes. A few droplets of blonde had been spilled on silver hair. Sky blue swam in silvery eyes. The girl's lips parted slightly. They whispered words of power in Rei's ears._

 _The blackhead's body stiffened. The path Usagi had followed disbanded as the flames returned to Rei's body. A red glow hugged her body and stole her from the silver embrace. The sky opened above them and Rei transformed into wild fire before flying towards the warm light. Usagi thought that it was fine, because she had caught the small smile painted on Rei's now serene face._

 _Suddenly control returned to her and Usagi stumbled forward to find her lost balance. A pair of arms helped her to achieve her task. When she looked at her savior, it was like looking at a mirror or rather taking a picture with a lot of special effects messing with originality._

 _"Soon will crumble the boundaries."_

 _Her lookalike said and the dream world fell apart._

* * *

When Kaito regained consciousness, the world was spinning around him and it had apparently taken Ami along for the ride. In his dizziness he also came to the conclusion that a way to make it rain in closed areas had been discovered.

Only after a few minutes of forcing himself to get back together, he realized that Ami's tears were responsible for the cold sensation on his cheeks. He sat up and immediately regretted it. The blow he had suffered on his stomach was carrying the promise of a nasty bruise.

"Damn it. Ami, come here."

Sailor Mercury wiped her tears and pushed herself off the floor. Kaito's eyes followed her every step to Rei's fallen form. Kagari was holding her up, his left hand pressing against her wound. Her grandfather was kneeling on the other side, his closed in concentration eyes brimming with tears as his magic worked on his granddaughter's body. Ami too kneeled on the blood-Rei's blood- that had formed a pool around her body. She took a hold of Rei's wrist and gently pressed two fingers on her neck.

"Her pulse.. is weak.", she stammered.

"We need.. we have to get her to a hospital.", Kagari decided, preparing to teleport.

"You can't.", Kaito said, placing a hand on Kagari's shoulder more to stand than comfort him. "She is still transformed. Magic is at work here. Her power combined with her grandfather's might heal her."

"Might? ", Kagari bellowed, not believing his ears. "We are not wagering her life on possibilities."

"And what of her identity? Expect of course you know a way to erase the memories of the whole planet."

"I am not going to stand by while she is dying, Kaito. Not again."

"I never said you would." He held back a sigh. " Take my advice and aid them as well. You just concentrate on that and leave everything else to me and Ami.", he finished, letting go of Kagari's shoulder. "Do we have a deal? " Kagari nodded and mimicked the priest' position. Soon enough the red glow around Rei's body intensified.

Kaito turned to Ami. "Where are the others? We need to teleport them to the control center. We won't be a fancy sight if the authorities show up."

"Makoto and Satoru are fighting with the cardian outside.", Ami answered.

"I had forgotten about that one."

"The others have not shown up yet."

"Our leaders late? Well, that's a surprise."

"Guys! How is Rei doing? ", Makoto asked as she and Satoru entered the auditorium and climbed on the stage.

"Steady. ", Ami sighed. "At least she is not loosing any more blood."

"The cardian? ", Kaito inquired.

"It fled.", Satoru reported, helping Kaito support himself.

"That's.. surprising.", Ami commented.

"That's what we thought too.", Makoto agreed.

"I know this isn't the best time, but.. how did it go? ",Kaito asked.

"Let's say that everything is fixed.", Makoto replied.

"Let's teleport to the center then.", Kaito proposed. "Someone is going to discover those people sooner or later."

"You do that. I tried to contact Yukio and Mina earlier, but received no response.", Satoru disclosed. "I will track them down and meet you there.", he promised and teleported away.

It didn't take long for everyone else to follow his example.

* * *

Mamoru woke up with a terrible, terrible headache.

Slowly he sat himself up from his couch and carefully walked toward his kitchen. The cold water filling his body proved helpful in putting his thoughts in order.

Usagi. The arcade. They had met Makoto and the others there. For some reason he couldn't recall, Usagi had left before him and after some time he had followed.

Mamoru eyed the wine bottle on the table with uncertainty. He didn't remember drinking. As a matter of fact, he only had liquor in his house in case a quest showed up. Maybe that was the reason he had a few hazy memories. He didn't want to admit it, but he had little experience with alcohol. In fact, he had no experience at all. He was placing the bottle in its rightful place, when his phone buzzed with a new message. A small smile crept on his face when he recognized Usagi's number.

Hi, are you awake?

I try to sleep early, but not that early. The sun hasn't even set yet.

Ah, sorry. It's just that I was asleep and..

Are you okay?

I' m not sure. My mom said I was half-asleep when Ami brought me to the house. I fell asleep the moment I laid down, but according to her I had a nightmare. She found me tossing and turning and screaming in my bed, but I have no recollection of it."

Well, the most things we see while asleep, we forget. And trust me I am speaking from personal experience.

Can we.. meet again tomorrow? I would like to see you.

Yeah, sure. At the arcade after school?

Actually, I was wondering if you could come and pick me up from my house early tomorrow morning. My father won't be there.

I am more concerned about whether you will be awake or not, but I'll risk it.

Come on, I'm not that hopeless. I will be awake, you'll see. Besides, I have something important to talk to you about and it has to be before school.

Is it about Natsumi and Seijuro?

Yep.

Have a plan in mind?

I do, but I'm not sure if you will like it. It's best if we discuss it face to face.

Nah, try me.

You sure?

Absolutely.

Okay then. Here goes nothing.

Don't worry I can handle it.

I want you to be Natsumi's boyfriend.

* * *

The sun was setting. Satoru soared over the sunkissed rooftops of Tokyo with the tracking device of his communicator as the compass that pointed to his desired location.

It was unlike the leading couple to be tardy. He didn't know about Minako, but Yukio had never once been late in any life. He always arrived first and left last. There were jokes going around the palace for him from the soldiers. Only one time in his life will Lord Kunzite be late, they said. When he is dead. In times of peace and prosperity they too would find it funny and tease him about it. In times of war and conflict not so much.

The tracking device beckoned Satoru to stop. He deactivated it and jumped on the alleyway Yukio and Minako were supposed to be. An alley? What would two people do in an alley? On second thought, Satoru hoped that he wouldn't interrupt something between them.

In the darkness he almost missed the wall towering in front of him. It was a dead end with no sign of his missing friends. Thinking his communicator was broken, Satoru turned to leave. He would just try the traditional way: calling on their mobile phones. His foot stepped on something hard and he would have slipped if he hadn't pressed his hand against the wall for support. He could swear that his heart stopped when he noticed the object that had caused his misstep. Kneeling down he picked up Minako's communicator. The symbol of Venus engraved on it was more red than orange. Frantically, his eyes searched for a hint of silver in the darkness. Yukio's communicator was at his right hand's reach and he searched for any sign of blood the moment he picked it up. Thankfully, there was none. Only destroyed just like Minako's. Sending an alert to the control center through his own communicator, he pocketed the two in his hands and summoned his magic to light the alley.

In the light of his magic, the alleyway reminded him of a war zone. The walls were decorated with holes and scratches. The floor looked like it had been stomped by elephants. Minako's chain had left its mark almost everywhere. A shadow was cast in front of him and Satoru dodged the cardian's attack at the last minute. He jumped up to the rooftops again in order to have more space. The mermaid didn't waste any time on tailing him. She wasn't going to let him escape.

Before he could even step on the roof, she had unleashed her next attack. Her hair wrapped tightly around his waist and threw him across the skylights. He landed on his back on the road below, feeling lucky that he was transformed. In his civilian form he would have certainly died. But that didn't mean that the hit wasn't taking a toll on his body.

The cardian was upon him again. She was diving toward him, her long pink hair swaying wildly behind her. Even from this distance her terrible hissing echoed in his ears. She opened her mouth widely, releasing her water attack. Satoru braced himself for an impact that never came. Instead a phoenix, shielded by his flames, rose up to meet it. He split the water in two and attacked the cardian directly. Soon after her now black card fell like a feather in her stead.

Rei caught it in her hands and burnt it into a crisp before it could reach Satoru. "Now we are even."

"I'm glad you are alive."

Rei offered him a hand up, smiling.

"You too."

* * *

"Well, I can say that this day went well."

"Yes. Even though our cardian was eventually destroyed, we did manage to catch the big fishes. Our love is so strong that it can overcome anything, Eiru." Eiru clasped her hand in agreement and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Y-you.. won't.. get away with this."

An separated herself from Eiru's lips and turned toward the Tree. Mina was tied to it by thick veins. Her hair was a mess and gashes were covering every part of her body. "And what makes you think that orange lady? Don't tell me that you actually believe that your friends can stop us. Just look what happened at your boyfriend over there."

Minako ignored the throbbing pain in her neck and turned toward Yukio. His situation hadn't changed from the last time she had checked out on him. He was tied to the alien Tree just like her. The only difference was that he wasn't awake. The long slash on his chest had stopped bleeding, but Minako didn't know what to make of it.

"Why are you doing this?", she demanded. "Gathering energy for this stupid plant?"

"Silence!", Eiru barked, grabbing Minako by the neck. "The only thing you need to know is that the two of you are going to be our emergency energy supply. Meaning that when we lack sacrifices for it, we are going to use you. And when we capture your friends, the Tree will restore itself by taking yours and theirs energy alike." He walked to the door that led to his human apartment. "The eight of you have much power. I don't care about whys and hows. I just want all of it. And soon have it I shall."

"Admit it princess; you have lost. Guess your love wasn't strong enough, was it now?''

And with that last comment, An followed Eiru to their apartment leaving Minako alone in the dim-lit room that housed the Tree. She tried one more time to break free, but the vines responded by tightening their hold around her body. Summoning her powers was out of the question. She could feel her energy being drained by the gigantic Tree little by little. It was infuriating that she didn't know the purpose. Those two aliens were tight-lipped creatures. They hadn't let out a single piece of valuable information. They sure were pretty cautious with their plans.

And on top of that they had taken their communicators. That meant that the others couldn't locate them. Minako wondered how much time those two aliens had spent observing them from the shadows. In any case, if they wanted to escape they would have to do it on their own, hopefully before someone from their group joined them in their captivity. Using the communicators, a pretty nice trap could be set up after all. But they had said that the cardian was destroyed, hadn't they? Hopefully whoever was looking for them was safe and sound.

Minako sent another worried glance toward Yukio. His breaths were deep and his uniform stained with blood. At least the cut wasn't deep enough to cause any serious internal injuries. She had to free herself and help him as soon as possible. An injury like that could become fatal if left untreated for a significant period of time. And time wasn't something Minako had at her disposal.

She needed to think and think fast. But escaping was proving to be a difficult task. The room she was in housed nothing but the Tree. The only thing that stood out was the door at the far end of it. It was a normal door; one that could be found in any human apartment. For Minako that meant that the aliens had created human aliases and were living like human hopefully in Tokyo. The only thing she needed to do was figure out how to reach that door and find out if her suspicions were true. A task that was easier thought than done.

Suddenly a red aura surrounded the tree. The veins grew thicker and bigger and started expanding around the room. Minako could do nothing as she was forcefully pulled inside it. The last thing she saw was Yukio facing the same predicament, before everything turned black.

"What about purple then?"

"Hana, I said it once and I'm saying it again. We have more serious problems than the color of your hair."

"Relax. They are gonna be fine."

"They were swallowed by an energy draining Tree we know nothing about."

"So what? We will find out eventually. You are just used to know things beforehand. But we can't know everything.."

"I know. But not knowing makes me worry."

"Yeah, it kind of bothers me too, but we will have t-"

"Hana!"

"Oh, come on! I was going to say something really cool and you interrupted me."

Haruki closed her eyes and focused on the Tree hidden inside the apartment that was currently under her feet."Be quiet. I can't listen clearly."

" Uh.. Listen to what?"

"The Tree."

"Okay, I am officially confused."

"It's trying to communicate."

"Since when can you chat with alien plants?"

"Not with me! I think it's trying to reach.. Endymion.''


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 13: Lost**

Mamoru was feeling restless.

From the moment he woke up a feeling of dread had settled in his stomach for reasons he didn't know. For a moment he had considered an illness of some sort being at work, but the doctor inside him quickly caught on and dismissed the absurd thought. And then his mind drifted to Usagi's newest plan and dread was replaced or rather joined by despair.

And now here he was sitting with Natsumi at the terrace of one of the most popular cafeterias in Tokyo. They had taken a seat near the railing from where they had a perfect view of the city's hustle and bustle. The Tokyo Tower was shimmering in front of them, easily surpassing in height every building around it. MAMORU paid the waitress in advance as she came to take their orders.

"So, what did you want to talk about?", Natsumi asked when the waitress left.

"Well, it's not easy for me to say.."

Natsumi leaned slightly forward and held his hands in hers. "Mamoru, you can tell me everything. If there is something that troubles you, I am willing to lend an ear." The gesture in combination with the sincerity in her eyes made him uncomfortable as the result of the plan finally started sinking in. Being his girlfriend meant a lot of things. That she was a person he cared about, a person he cherished and loved. But it seemed that love only existed in one of them. Otherwise she wouldn't have come with him when he had showed up to pick her up from her school. Natsumi acted silly at times, but she was a smart and kind girl. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad if he gave this a chance.

"I.. would you like to.."

"Yes?", An urged.

"Would you like to be Snow White in my university's play?!", Mamoru blubbered out and freeing his hands from Natsumi's hold smashed his face in utter defeat. In the end he wasn't able to say it. Usagi was going to be disappointed with his lack of social skills. It wasn't as if he had a great number of friends to practice.

"It's the story about the girl and the dwarves. Who is playing the prince?"

Maybe not all hope was lost. Mamoru cleared his throat, bringing his gaze back at her. "Due to a lack of actors, I am filling up for the spot."

"I see. Then I would love to take part in it."

"Excellent. Then why don't we exchange contracts in case something comes up? "

''Contacts?", Natsumi titled her head to the side in question. She had done her best to gather information about Earth when she and Eiru had first arrived, but she had yet to uncover the meaning behind every term.

"Give me your number.", Mamoru clarified, handing his phone for her to type on.

"Oh. I don't have one so I'll write down my address. "

Even better. "How come you don't have a phone? "

"Ah, I lost it and haven't bought a new one yet. "

"I see.", Mamoru said, pocketing his phone despite knowing that she was lying. It was something in the way she averted her gaze, softly brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, that told him that she wasn't being sincere. He swore that he could almost hear the beating of her heart quickening, but that was impossible for a human, so he blamed height instead. "Meet me at the arcade at six and we will go to the rehearsal together.", he added as he got up to leave. "Come on, I'll drive you home."

The whole way to her apartment Natsumi couldn't control her beating heart. She had read Snow white alright. It was part of her research on Earth after all. And thus she knew that there was a kissing scene at the end. Did that mean that Mamoru had also fallen in love with her. Love. She didn't know what that was despite the fact that she and Eiru used it often when together to express the special something that ignited inside them every time they set eyes on each other.

The motorcycle came to a stop. "Is this is?", he asked, voice deeper than usual thanks to his helmet.

Natsumi got rid of her own before offering an answer. "Yes, my brother and I live on the top floor together." She handed him the spare helmet with a smile.

"You live all by yourselves? What about tour parents? "

"Well, we are transfer students so they live overseas."

Lies again. "I see.", he nodded, turning on the engine. "Then see you later."

Natsumi waved goodbye and waited until he had turned the corner for her hand and smile to drop. Glancing up at the apartment building she could tell that Eiru was not there even though school had ended almost an hour ago. After making sure no one was watching her, she transformed into her true form and flew toward her school building, a feeling that she couldn't name tagging at the strings of her heart.

* * *

Seijuro was certainly a fast runner. He had dashed from the music room to the hallways and straight to the school courtyard in a matter of seconds, a bunch of girls asking him to have lunch with them in his every step. Usagi despaired at the thought that she had to do the same. For entire other reasons, though. Sure Seijuro was handsome, but not really her type. She was into something more..

Shaking her head, Usagi shook the image of Mamoru away from her mind's eye . Now it wasn't a suitable time to think about after she had told the boy she liked to date another girl. Yes, she had finally admitted it. Tsukino Usagi liked Chiba Mamoru. No. Like was too a kind word for what she felt.

It was more of a burning passion, an untamed desire. It was pure, unconditional love. Every time she saw him her heart skipped a beat and butterflies filled her stomach.

When she had met with him that morning she had hoped that he would refuse her bizarre proposition. But instead he had agreed and complied to her demands like a loyal dog. And so they had gone along with her plan even though she wanted to cancel it. She sighed as the image of him and Natsumi, riding off on his motorcycle, came to her mind. Her hand instinctively touched the back of her neck as she imagined her own hair flying in the wind.

Well, all that was done was done. Resuming her search for Seijuro she spotted his silhouette up on the school's roof. It was weird that he'd be up there, especially since school had just ended for the day. She assumed that he was trying to hide from his newly formed fan club. Quietly change chuckling to herself, she entered the school building once more and traversed up the stairs leading to the rooftop.

The metal door was a bit heavy for her to push open, but eventually the cold afternoon greeted her along with Seijuro's music. He was sitting on a small terrace above her, but jumped down the moment he noticed her watching him.

"Usagi. What are you doing up here? ", he asked, approaching her.

She offered a friendly smile."I was wondering the same thing about you."

"It's too crowded down there. And on top of that I couldn't find An anywhere."

"Maybe she went home first or is somewhere with her friends." Usagi threaded carefully in her words. She didn't want to burden Mamoru more with a possibly overprotective brother on his tail.

"She doesn't have or need any friends. We have each other and that's enough."

"I don't think that's true.", she noted, taking a seat on the ground and starting unpacking her lunch. "I am your friend. Mamoru too. And I'm sure all our classmates view you as such, as well."

She didn't miss the surprise and confusion in Seijuro's face as he sat down next to her. "I don't get this."

"It's okay. Here have this.", she offered, handing him a treat from her lunchbox. Seijuro mumbled something about it resembling a sea creature before tasting it. "Do you like it."

"Very. Can I have another one? ", he asked and Usagi placed her box between them so he could help himself easy. "Did you make these? "

"Ah.. Actually, it was my mother. She made a lot today so you can eat all you want. I was planning to share it with some other friends too, but they didn't come to school today."

"So I am your second choice then.", Seijuro observed with bitterness in his tone.

"No, I was planning to give you some anyway. You and Natsumi are distant from everyone and I wanted you to know that if you ever need anything or run into some kind of trouble you can-"

"You should go now.", Seijuro interrupted her, standing up and walking away.

"But-"

"Just go!'', he bellowed, not turning to face her. Usagi reluctantly gathered her things and stood.

"Just know that the offer still stands. ", she declared, before closing the rooftop's door behind her. Not a second after she had left An landed in front of Seijuro, her pink eyes burning with envy.

"It's not what you think."

"And what is it? You ate this foreign junk with her. We only need energy to survive and yet you-"

"Will you let me explain? Where were you all this time anyway?"

"It.. it doesn't matter where I was. Anyway, I'm leaving! That girl is waiting for you.", she said and vanished from his sight before he could say anything else.

"Girl?", Seijuro repeated. Looking down at the courtyard, he spotted Usagi leaning against the school's entrance, the sun setting behind her making her hair resemble threads of gold. A small smile graced his lips as he got ready to teleport downstairs.

But the sight that greeted him when he did so was that of Usagi being thrown in the middle of the yard by An's attack.

* * *

None of them had stepped into school today. Early in the morning they had met at the arcade eager to start their investigations. But things hadn't worked out according to their plans. Upon opening the arcade's door, they had happened upon Motoki being interviewed by the police. His eyes had pointed at them and the two officers had turned their attention to them immediately.

The taller one, a woman with unkempt black hair in a long braid, had shown her badge and requested with brown eyes that left no room for argument for them to follow her and her partner in the police station. It was obvious that they were investigating Minako's and Yukio's disappearance. His uncle and her parents had reported them missing after they hadn't returned to their respective homes after all. After a long interview that seemed to last for ever, they had been dismissed in the early afternoon. Too lazy and tired to walk all the way back to the arcade, they had settled for a simple teleportation that had led them directly to the control center. Several hours had passed since that time and they had found nothing helpful to locate their missing friends.

"If only I had been there.", Artemis sniffled, rubbing his red eyes with his white paw.

"You couldn't have done anything.", Luna soothed, giving him a supportive nudge.

"At least we would have known if they are.."

Satoru rubbed his tired eyes. "We have known if they were dead. I", he specified. "Would have know if something had happened to Yukio." His eyes turned to his fellow Shitennou, quietly asking them for confirmation.

"Yes, we would have known.", Kaito affirmed as Kagari nodded in agreement.

"The same goes for us.", Rei added. "But we shouldn't be inactive because of this. We must find them as soon as possible. I don't care if we have to turn this city, this planet upside down to do so."

Kagari put a hand on her arm and sat her back down. "Searching randomly won't do us any good. We must not forget our main goal: Usagi's and Mamoru's protection comes first. That's what they would say at a time like this."

Kaito's lips curved into something bitter and forlorn. "No arguments there. Ami, did you find anything?"

Ami stopped typing on the center's massive computer and turned to face her friends. "Not yet. I can't seem to locate them anywhere. A strong power must be shielding their hideout from being traced." She adjusted her glasses and turned back to the screen.

"How do we know they are still on Earth?", REI questioned.

"They need energy from the people of this planet for.. something. Their base must be on Earth and taking in consideration all the attacks, it must be here in Tokyo.", Satoru answered.

"Tokyo isn't a small area.", Kagari said. "But is better than searching the whole planet."

"Are we monitoring Usagi and Mamoru?"

A few buttons were pressed and a map of Tokyo came into view on the computer's screen. "Usagi is at her school. And it seems that Mamoru is heading there."

"At least some of us are happy.", Kaito disclosed. "We have to bring Minako and Yukio back before they regain their memories."

"Yeah..", Rei trailed off.

"Do you think they are dating?", Satoru enquired.

Rei scoffed. "Ha, Usagi propably got detention again and Mamoru is picking her up."

"Maybe she stayed in the library to study." Everyone turned to look at Ami like she had said the most bizarre thing in the world. "Or.. not?

"I'm going to get a breather.", Makoto announced, getting up from her chair and heading for the stairs that led to the arcade.

"Do you need company?", Satoru offered.

Right foot on the first step, Makoto turned partly around to voice her reply. "No, I'll be fine."

No one missed the mendacity of the smile on her rosy lips.

Makoto greeted the air of the night with a long breath. It was bitter against her exposed arms and legs, but she didn't mind as she walked aimlessly away from the arcade. She needed a walk alone in order to clear her head.

So many things had happened in the last few days. The shock of almost losing Rei was still lingering in her heart. Having to wipe out Mamoru's and Usagi's memories hadn't been easy either. And now the worst had occurred. Two of her friends, members of her family were missing. It was just the way she viewed them. As family. She knew that their absence was weighing on her more than the others. It was not that the others did not care, but she had already lost a family before. And she wasn't going to lose another one.

Kaito was right. They would bring them back before Mamoru and Usagi returned to them properly. Those aliens had gotten too far this time. After this Makoto would show them neither mercy nor forgiveness.

No matter how absorbed in her thoughts she was, she didn't miss the wave of power that rushed through the street. The familiar wave of power that spelled only trouble. Before she knew it, she was transformed and already soaring through the skylights. She was thankful that Usagi's school was nearby. But not so much since she was there and Mamoru could be there at any moment if he hadn't arrived already.

Finally the school came into view. The pink-haired alien was there, shooting waves of air repeatedly toward Usagi. Hurting Usagi. With a battle cry in order to get some attention, she gathered her thunder on her antenna and charged. She would have hit her target if the blue-haired alien had not swept in for the rescue. She ignored their chatting and instead focused on Usagi. She was slowly getting up from the ground and backing off from the scene. A few bruises and cuts were visible on her legs and arms, but altogether she seemed okay. Okay enough to grab her school bag and run into the empty streets without looking back.

Sailor Jupiter didn't follow her. Her princess was capable enough to take care of herself. Instead, she glared at the new cardian that had manifested itself in front of her.

It was a monster with the most bizzare hair, she had ever seen. Her new opponent didn't waste any time and charged at her with a golden staff. She dodged, the ground crumbling in the place where the staff hit. Makoto had enough of it. She was through with these invaders hurting the people she cared about. Her thunder surged in her fingertips and her antenna rose once more. Her prayers toward the sky were heard and the thunder glided forward with ease. It circled around before taking the form of a roaring dragon and taking on his enemy. The cardian was defeated in an instant and the thunder dragon turned to the two aliens. It would have been successful if the two hadn't slipped out of his fangs at the last moment.

When the others arrived, deadly thunder was still dancing in the air.

* * *

Usagi was scared. She almost tripped as she turned a corner and leaned against the wall for support to catch her breath. Her feet were aching from all the running and her hands felt sore in most places. She was certain that they would be bruised all over in the morning. "Miss are you okay?" A steady hand pressed on her shoulder and Usagi looked up at a set of familiar eyes. "Usagi! What happened?"

The blonde released a sob and hugged the man in front of her tightly. In her anxiety to escape that monster's clutches, she had forgotten that it was Mamoru she had been waiting for at the school's entrance. She was glad that he was here now and snuggled more deeply into his embrace. Maybe it was because they had been together at this from the beginning. Every time she had a chance meeting with one of those things, Mamoru had been with her. She shivered when thus hands circled around her waist. He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately brought her closer. They stayed like this for several minutes, Usagi sobbing lightly on Mamoru's chest.

In the end Mamoru pushed Usagi away and whipped a few stray tears from her face. He turned his back and kneeled on the ground expectantly. "Climb up."

"What?"

"Your legs look awful. It will get worse if you walk. I'll treat you to my apartment. You can call your parents so they won't when we arrive. Hurry up."

"Uh.. I suppose you are right."

Usagi slowly bent and wrapped her arms around Mamoru's neck. In response he stood carefully and got a hold of her legs to steady her. He muttered an apology when she flinched after a nasty bruise was traced by his fingers. She rested her head on Mamoru's shoulder and simply watched as they passed the familiar path to Mamoru's apartment building. In truth she was still scared that the monster from earlier was going to jump on them at any moment but somehow his presence was winning over her insecurity. His hair smelt of shampoo mixed with an intense smell of books and antiseptic along with a fainter one that brought into her mind a vast rose garden expanding around a building she knew nothing about.

"So, it was a monster again?" She nodded and he felt the affirmative movement on his skin. "At your school?"

"Yes, but I left when one of those defenders arrived. How was the date with Natsumi?"

He sighed. "Usagi, I'm sorry. I couldn't ask her what you wanted. But don't be mad. I asked to help me on a play at my university and even got her address. I think that we have established some sort of friendship."

A victory dance was being conducted inside Usagi's head. And speaking of friendship. "I talked to Seijuro at school but he wasn't that friendly with me. Although I think he will consider coming to me if there's any trouble with him and Natsumi. What kind of play?"

"Snow white." Mamoru unlocked the door of his apartment building and stepped into the elevator.

"Disney?! I love Disney. Can I participate too?"

"Of course. The theater club is short on members anyway. But you have to audition first."

He unlocked his apartment and placed Usagi on the couch. He disappeared in his bedroom for a moment and returned with a first aid kit. He handed her a cold pack. "Press this to your right elbow. She nodded and did as told. The cold sensation on her skin was quite relaxing. "This may sting a little.", he said as he applied antiseptic on her cuts. His movements were gentle as he placed small adhesive bandages on them. "Did you call your parents?", he asked as he gathered the medical equipment along with her ice pack.

"Ah, I forgot.", she answered, reaching for the phone hidden in her pocket. She dialed quickly her home's number and when her mother's voice came through apologized for being late and lied that she was going to have a pajama party with Naru. Her mother's irritation for being informed at the last minute was evident in her voice as she agreed but it was an agreement nevertheless.

By the time the call ended, Mamoru was placing a set of blankets and pillows on the couch. "Okay, you take the bed, I'll take the couch."

"This is your apartment-"

Mamoru's lifted hand silences her. "I can't let an injured person sleep on the couch. Do you need help to walk?"

Usagi answered by getting up and walking slowly-because going faster wouldn't be a good idea- to the bedroom's door and opening it. She glanced sideways at Mamoru fixing the couch. "Thank you."

He turned and offered her a smile. "It was nothing."

Wanting to hide her blush, she turned on her heels and closed the door behind her. In the isolation of Mamoru's neat room, she wondered what he would have said if she had suggested for the two of them to sleep together.

* * *

The next morning Makoto woke up feeling refreshed. Seeing that she had a handful of time before school started for the day, she took her time showering and preparing breakfast and lunch. Due to having much time on her disposal she prepared a lunch box for Mamoru. She hadn't seen him yesterday and didn't know if he had eaten anything proper or even anything at all. Sometimes he would just bury himself in his books, taking energy only from coffee and instant noodles.

The walk to his house was short as always and his door was unlocked as usual. Mamoru had always been a morning person so Makoto wasn't surprised when she noticed that the lights were turned on. It struck her as weird though when she saw that the kitchen table was set for two. Did he know that she would come? She hadn't called in advance or anything. She never did. A loud noise came from the bedroom and Makoto dashed to the closed door, her warrior's instinct kicking in.

"Mamoru!", she shouted as she pushed the door open with unnecessary strength ready to apprehend anything.

Anything except the sight that unveiled in front of her eyes. She stared at Usagi who was lying on Mamoru's bed, dressed in one of Mamoru's white shirts, her hair tangled and spreading across the sheets. And at Mamoru who was shirtless, balancing in two hands above her. And then at the covers that were discarded on the bedroom's floor.

Her school bag fell to the floor. That situation she had not been expecting.

* * *

She could hear him approaching. His footsteps in the long corridor were familiar to her ears even though he hadn't visited in a long time. Naturally he couldnt be blamed. She bowed deeply in sync with the opening of the doors. Her eyes glanced up to meet his as he approached. Those blue orbs captured her in an instant and she had to do her best to gaze away. He stopped inches away from her, motioning for her to rise. And so she did, gloved hand tracing along her rod until she stood at her full height. He didn't say anything. She knew what he had come for.

 _"I saw everything. It's terrible."_

"Everything is in place, my lord. You do not need to worry. If I may be so bold, you have experienced firsthand the happenings of the past."

She was aware that her words of assurance could not calm her King's anxiety. She couldn't possible succeed where even the Queen had failed. His posture was that of a perfect monarch -tall, prideful, regal- but she could see the aggravation eating at the edges of his eyes, slowly turning them into blue steel. The realization that he couldn't do anything about this was weighing on him, a habit that had remained intact from his younger days.

"The past can change. It is not set in stone. You told me this, remember?"

 _"And what are we here for?"_

"That I did.", she confirmed, secretly happy and surprised that he remembered. "But change isn't a necessary evil."

"You will inform me immediately if you notice something peculiar in the flow of time."

 _"If he comes, will you tell him everything?"_

"Of course.", she assured, bowing her head slightly. She knew that the anger in his tone wasn't being directed at her, but rather at himself. Her King was blaming himself again for things he couldn't control, could not prevent or fight. The feeling was foreign to her. In fact it was her closest companion in the misty cage that she had the duty of guarding with her life. She had predicted that a time would come when she would be given the opportunity to get out, to meet the residences of this palace in their younger -much younger- days, to spend time and fight with them. But in the end to her cage she would return.

Her King turned to leave, but seemingly regretted it and stopped. His eyes were a piercing blue as he apprehended her. His appearance hadn't changed much from the day of their official meeting, but it wasn't much different from the times she had just been observing him. It was in wisdom that he and his spouse had gained over the years on the throne.

"I have an ominous feeling about this. If something happens to us-"

"It won't." She would be damned if she allowed something like this to happen.

He placed a hand on her shoulder to silence her. "If something happens to us, seal the gates."

Her eyes widened at the idea. Sealing the gates was a difficult ritual. It would drain the majority of her power and make her unable to open them again for thousand of years. She wouldn't be able to leave for a thousand of years. Again she would be reduced to a lonely observer of the world. Watching and waiting in eternal solitude. Such was the burden of the guardian of Time.

His hand moved from her shoulder to cup her cheek and she unintentionally leaned in. His hand was warm, overflowing with power from the golden crystal that had only grown in power as the years passed. "I know I'm asking a lot, but your power must not fall into the wrong hands. I can only pray that it won't come to this."

"I understand.", she finally chocked out. He smiled at her gratefully before withdrawing his hand and leaving the plane of Space and Time.

She kept the doors open until his figure disappeared from her line of vision. With a simple swipe of her hand, they closed, making a loud sound that travelled through the empty mist. Once again, she was being left behind.

 _"Setsuna, understand. You don't need those memories."_


	15. Chapter 15

**Cha** **pter 14: New Beginnings**

The small ray of sunlight that peeked through the living room's curtains brought Mamoru's eyes to life. His blue orbs sparkled in the morning light as he opened the curtains widely to allow natural light to enter the room. Sliding the balcony door open, Mamoru leaned against the railing and lazily observed the hustle and bustle of the city below. His clothes were wrinkly from sleeping in them and he made a mental note of ironing them later. Strangely, despite the couch being not in the least comfortable for a person of his height, he did have a pleasant sleep. No dreams. No nightmares. Just restful and relaxing slumber, which for him was a rare luxury, a miraculous experience.

Deciding that he had spent enough time gracing his good fortune, he moved to the kitchen and started the necessary preparations for breakfast. Normally, the first step of his morning ritual was a trip to his bathroom and wardrobe, but since the person who had seized his bed for a night was still asleep he focused on the second step of said ritual. Mamoru was worse than an amateur at cooking, but he supposed that fried eggs and bacon would be enough to satisfy Usagi's appetite for a while. Maybe they could buy something else on their way to school. His craving for coffee was going to kick in at some point anyway. Finishing with the cooking, he set the kitchen table with the necessary cutlery and cast a glance at his bedroom's door. Only a heavy silence greeted him.

It seemed that he had to take matters into his own hands. School would start in less than an hour anyway and he didn't deem Usagi for a morning person. Urgently he knocked on the door and called her name, sighing in defeat when no answer came after multiple tries. He opened and closed the door slowly, doing his best not to look at her. Having girls staying over was a thing he had never done before. Except with Makoto, but she was particularly his sister so she didn't count. Finally temptation won over him and he dared to glance at the sleeping form on the bed.

The first thing that captured his attention was Usagi's clothing. Her school uniform was neatly placed on top of his nightstand. Obviously she didn't want her clothes to get wrinkled. Heat exploded on his face as he beheld her choice of clothing. His shirt was too large for her small frame, reaching almost to her scraped knees. Her hair was loose, strings of sunshine spreading on the white sheets. The covers of his bed were tossed on the floor, a sign that she wasn't a peaceful sleeper. Tearing his gaze away, he quietly opened his wardrobe and seized a change of clothes for his person as fast as he could. The fact that he had a habit of organizing his clothing made the process even faster. A look in the wardrobe's mirror told him that his shirt was in disarray and he sent a wary look at Usagi's direction before removing it and hanging it in the wardrobe.

He was set to go when Usagi groaned softly behind him. Pressing his change of clothes on his chest, he walked to her and leaned over her still form. ''Usagi. Usagi, are you awake? Come on, you must get to school. I can't leave without you.''

''Five more minutes, Shingo. Don't eat all the food.''

Mamoru chuckled at her mumbles. He didn't know what her little brother would do, but maybe he could give her five more minutes. Maybe even ten. But as he made to turn around, his feet tangled in the covers and he let an instinctual scream as he stumbled forward. The clothes he was holding fell to the floor and Mamoru avoided falling on Usagi by stabilizing on his hands and knee.

From in-between his bangs, he could see Usagi's blue, wide awake eyes staring up at him and her lips parting slightly in shock. Her face paled so much he thought she would pass out, before turning bright red. Mamoru could tell that the same color must have been evident on his own cheeks. The normal notion in such a predicament would be to immediately pull back and apologize, but he didn't move away, nor leaned in. He simply stayed completely still, eyes set on Usagi's face. On her blue eyes, clear as the sky. He couldn't look away. From such a close proximity, her sweet aroma was overflowing in his senses. At that moment the world around him was blurry. There was her and only her. She was his world. The realization scared him. What if something happened to her? A wave of protectiveness washed over him. He wanted to shake these thoughts away, but found himself unable to do so. How was it that this clumsy schoolgirl had such effect on him?

''MAMORU!''

The real world manifested itself around him once more, colors and shapes falling in place around him and Usagi. Two sets of blue eyes parted quickly from each other and locked on the person standing at the bedroom's door, silently gaping at them. A few moments passed like this until Makoto's bag slid from her fingers, the sound intensifying in the heavy silence. Mamoru and Usagi acted almost in sync. The former quickly backed away, grabbing the shirt that had fallen on the floor and rushing to put it on, while Usagi grabbed the fallen blankets and covered herself up to her chin. Makoto kept staring.

''It's.. It's not what you think.''

''I slept here and Mamoru on the couch. Honest!''

''I was just trying to wake her up and tripped!''

Makoto couldn't hold it in anymore. She laughed at their silly reactions and laughed even more at the confused look they shared. They would also get flustered like this back in the day. When she had entered the room, the image had been unexpected yes, but also bittersweet and amusing. ''Don't worry, I believe you. Get dressed. I'll be waiting in the kitchen.'' She grabbed her bag and closed the door, not bothering to hear Mamoru's protest.

She poured a glass of water for herself and leaned against the counter. The cold liquid brought a sense of freshness to her mind. The day before, after the battle had commenced, she had seen Mamoru carry Usagi away from the school and had left with her consciousness clear since she had been in good hands. It was a surprise that she had stayed over though. But then again; Endymion and Serenity had never been the predictable types when they were together. Or at any other time.

Smirking she opened her phone and typed a lengthy, descriptive message to her teammates. She only wished that she could be there to witness Rei's reaction.

* * *

It had already been a full month after the incident.

The first weeks had been full of tiring rehearsals that had not allowed Usagi to ponder over the events at Mamoru's apartment. Bringing a play to life had been more difficult that she had expected. She had put a lot of effort into it even though she was playing one of her least favorite roles: the Evil Queen. Apparently, it wasn't only her that hated that specific character. The time when she and Mamoru were handing over free invitations to their friends had come to her mind. When asked Mamoru had casually retorted that he had gotten the role of the prince, earning a few wistful smiles and shaking heads. But when she had piped in casually revealing her own role in the play, Minako had almost choked on her drink, Ami's head had snapped up from whatever her computer's screen was displaying and everyone had regarded her with looks that balanced somewhere between disbelief and disgust. As if some important universal law had been broken right in front of their eyes. They had all agreed to come, though, and that was all that mattered. It would have been better though, if the show hadn't been cancelled because of another attack.

And it had gotten only worse from there. She had learnt all about the attack on the city center from her father, who had seen it on the news. One of the few ones she and Mamoru had not witnessed firsthand. The good thing was that due to that they had doubled their efforts in finding the source of the problem, which had led them to their current situation. Sipping tea with the two siblings in their own apartment. They had shown up with the pretence of Usagi bringing Natsumi the notes she had missed because of skipping school that day.

''So, what's behind that door?''

Seijuro glared at Mamoru, eye twitching in irritation. He looked like a wild animal ready to pounce. ''For the third time, this is none of your business.''

Natsumi placed a calming hand on his arm, shooting Mamoru a bright smile. ''I'm sorry, but we can't tell you that. We keep something very important there.''

''Then I'm sorry, but we really need to find out.''

And without further delay, Usagi opened the door and was greeted by the sight of a large tree occupying a dark room. She was about to question about its existence, expecting a lengthy lecture with a lot of science involved, when large vines grabbed her hair and waist and started pulling her inside the room. Mamoru tried to catch her, but three pairs of hands appeared from the darkness and forced him inside the room along with them.

The two of them barely registered Natsumi's and Seijuro's protests as they were drawn closer to the tree. Mamoru struggled to break free from his captor, a monster with three faces grinning at him with three too large smiles. A booming voice echoed and everything started shaking as the tree's veins grew in size and number, escaping the room. The moments of chaos passed and deadly silence took over as Mamoru's bindings vanished. But instead of falling on the floor below, a starry sky manifested around him, every sign of reality disappearing from sight.

Slowly the force of gravity disappeared and he found himself floating in what he realized was the outer space. Millions of stars twinkled in the darkness, gently surrounding a tree floating among them like it was a part of their environment. A concussion. It had to be due to a concussion that he was seeing these things. The assurance of a scientifical explanation for his situation eased his nerves when a deep voice stuttered the silence and the scenery turned into a vast ocean with the tree nestled on a small island.

''Once upon a time there was nothing but the ocean and myself on that planet. After spending eons in solitude, I wanted somebody I could talk to. And so I decided to create life. I gave energy to these children and they paid me with their respect, but eventually they became smarter and greedy and began to fight over my energy. Their respect faded and gave away into hatred and malice. But still I believed in them and hoped that the peaceful days would return. However the fighting destroyed our home and I fled into space with several survivors, trying to find a new place for us to live in. But we found no such planet and in the end only two of my children survived. I was weak and couldn't teach them the way of this world. I am responsible for their wrongdoings. Please, Endymion, prince of the Earth, purify me with your sacred power so I may be reed of all this hatred my children have foolishly supplied me with.''

Gravity returned.

* * *

Usagi opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. She shut them again, trying to escape the hurricane of colors that had appeared in the few seconds she had kept them open. When she tried to move, her body ached. When she tried to speak, a lump formed in her throat and she broke into a fit of coughs. It didn't help that her ears were ringing as well and a terrible headache was starting to settle on her temples.

Voices were whispering above her. No. Not whispering. Shouting. Arguing. Barking. Angrily. Her ears caught her name being spoken by them and she forced her eyelids to part once more. The two creatures hovering above a large shining tree could only be described as extraterrestrial. The skin. The ears. The hair. The attire. Everything about them screamed inhuman. As did the strange Tree. It was enormous with thick roots that extended in every corner of the room and even beyond. Once in a while it would shine even brighter and the earth would shake under her feet. Why have a Tree in a-

The Tree! She had opened the door, even though she had been told not to. She and Mamoru had found it. And then there had been pain, pain, pain and liberation and darkness. She sat up awkwardly, not being able to supress a hiss of pain from her lips when she straightened her back. Her bones snapped in place and she gasped loudly at the jolt that travelled through every muscle of her body. She felt rather than saw the piercing glare toward her person. When she looked up, pink eyes were flashing red, a color that struck bells of danger in her ears. _The woman's sword struck filling the air with blood as red as her locks._

Pain was certain. But for her it came in the form of colliding with the hard floor. Again and again and again. Without a stop, without a break. All the while, Usagi could feel a pair of arms hugging her tightly, one clutching her waist and another cupping the back of her head. She wanted to return the gesture, but her limbs were being quite uncooperative at that moment. The pain didn't seize when her body stopped being shoved around. She skidded across the floor and the hands that had protected her were released. Her vision was more blurry than before, but she could still make out Mamoru's form lying next to her.

''..mo..ru.''

Her voice had chosen a bad time to fail her. Still, she bit her lips and crawled to Mamoru's side. His breaths were shallow, but he was alive. Blood was soaking his hair, but she reminded herself that head wounds tend to bleed a lot even when they come in the form of a scratch. She scanned his body for any serious injury and found none. She didn't allow relief to wash over her and instead focused on the task at hand: getting out. Impossible was the first word that came to her mind. Mamoru was unconscious. Her leg was hurting like hell, probably broken or fractured in the least. Everything was crumbling around them and they were on the top floor of the building. Even if she somehow managed to drag (because carrying was out of the question) Mamoru to an elevator there was no telling if they would ever reach the bottom in one piece.

There was an explosion and her body instictively covered Mamoru in fear the ceiling would collapse on top of them. Light entered from the hole in it, but no debris fell on them. Another explosion rang out and only then did Usagi realise that the number of people in the room had increased. She hadn't realised until then that the heroes of Tokyo had come to the rescue. Despite her perplexion, Usagi was glad of their presence.

Her vision started to swim as she tried focusing on the battle. The movements were making her sick, so she gribbed Mamoru's shirt tightly and propelled her head back to look at the hole above her. Only a small parchment of dark blue could be seen, but it was enough for the full moon to show itself. Usagi wished she could fly. She wished that she coud grow wings, scoop up Mamoru in her arms and fly away from every threat, from everything that could hurt them. The moon was shining bright, as if it was calling her up there beneath the stars.

One hand slipped from Mamoru's shirt and extended upwards in a plea for help. In her dizziness, Usagi thought that the girl touching her hand was an illusion. But then she sat in front of Usagi and smiled in a way that was too real to belong to a ghost of the mind. The hand touching Mamoru grew warm and she withdrew it with a gasp before staring at the man sitting beside him. She didn't have time to take in his appearance for a gentle hand cupped her cheek and turned her head around. The silver in the girl's eyes reminded her of lilies and laughter and home. She felt tears running down her cheeks as the girl leaned forward to press a small kiss on her forehead.

Everything exploded in silver light.

* * *

When Yukio opened his eyes, he was met with a white as a dove ceiling. He blinked and rubbed them confusedly as if it wasn't supposed to be there. _He_ wasn't supposed to be there. The last thing he remembered was-

''Ah, Yukio, my friend. Rise and shine!''

Yukio did just that. Sitting up on the bed, gritting his teeth against the sudden pain in his chest, he set his eyes on the patient occupying the bed across from him. Kagari's left arm was wrapped in bandages, but otherwise he seemed healthy as he ate from a tray that had been placed in front of him. ''Hospital food sucks.'', the blond commented and tossed his bottle of water in the air. Yukio caught it on reflex just before it could hit his face. ''You must be thirsty. I know I was.''

Yukio took a careful sip and the next moment the bottle was empty. He hadn't realised how thirsty he had been until now. ''What happened?''

Kagari passed a hand through his locks with a sigh. ''Mamoru and Usagi remembered everything and the enemy was defeated. Actually, it's more like it was befriended.''

''The Tree spoke to you, too.'', Yukio concluded. He and Minako had learnt about its history while inside it.

''Mamoru did. We were on the losing side when their powers awakened.'' Yukio turned to the direction of the voice and saw Satoru sitting up on the last bed in the room. ''The building collapsed after they saved the Tree from itself, but no one was fatally wounded. I got a concussion, Kagari needed stiches, you went through surgery for the wound on your chest, Mina and Rei damaged some musles here and there. The others have already been given a discharge note.''

''So soon?''

''Mamoru healed them.'', Kagari replied. ''They didn't have such great injuries as us, so a fast recovery wouldn't be considered strange by the doctors. We will leave today, so he will heal us properly afterwards.''

Yukio frowned. ''He doesn't have to use his power like this.''

Kagari swallowed a bit of bread. ''That's what I told him when I woke up. The lecture that I received about everything we have done without him and Usagi reminded me how bossy Endymion used to be once upon a time. Old habbits really die hard. One a sidenote, those people that helped us from time to time were a temporary form the crystals had taken.''

''Since a part of them wasn't in Usagi's and Mamoru's bodies, their memories couldn't be returned.'', Satoru continued.

''I see.'', Yukio hummed, prossesing everything he had heard. It all made sense now. Usagi's and Mamoru's lack of memories was a mystery and Yukio felt relieved that it had a logical explanation behind it. Befriending the two aliens was also a good outcome. Mayhaps they could count on their assistance if a strong enemy challenged them in the future.

His trail of thought was interrupted when the door opened and Makoto walked in. She closed it harsily, causing him to flinch inwardly from the unpleasant sound. ''Sorry.'', she muttered, leaning against the door. Unlike them, who were wrapped in hospital clothing, she was dressed in her own clothes with no bandanges covering her skin. ''I'm glad you are all awake.''

Satoru smiled at her. ''What did you tell the police?''

Yukio's eye twitched

''Hold on; what police?''

''Your uncle, Mina's parents and everyone else in the world thought that the two of you had been kidnped. The police believes that the explosion in the building was intentional in order for the kidnappers to escape. We told them that they asked us for ransom money in order to explain our presence there. The investigations are still going on, but they will never find their criminals. An and Eiru must be out of our solar system by now. The detectives will question you too so make sure your story matches with ours. And remember that Usagi and Mamoru weren't there at all.''

''I'll keep it in mind.''

* * *

The pain was touching the borders of unberable.

The tunel was big, but it felt small. Lights were swirling and yet there was darkness. Her body was being squeezed, her bones pulverized. Not enough air was filling her lungs. She hadn't done it correctly, she knew. In her haste to succeed, to escape, she had perfomed the spell sloppily.

And now she was paying the price. But it would be fine. It would be alright if she reached her destination no matter how painful the journey was.

The air envaded her system so abrutly that she almost chocked on it. Like a swimmer that had come too close to drowing, she gasped and coughed for what seemed like an eternity willing the precious oxygen to fill her vines. It was only when her breaths calmed down that she mastered the strength to open her eyes. Her two sets of eyelashes split apart a few times before her vision adjusted to the daylight.

She was free-falling, steadily but fastly, toward a city both familiar and foreign. Crystal Tokyo.

No. Tokyo. For now just Tokyo. This wasn't her home. It was only an undeveloped, past version of it. The lack of a shimmering palace, towering over even the tallest skyscraper, made her heart ache. Her parents had still many obstacles to face. And she was bringing one right on their tails.

The light around the key hanging on her neck faded and flickered and died down. The portal above her closed. Now the ground was so close that she could make out the people walking among the greenery. A park, she realised. There was something warm against her lips and then she fell on the ground, lying against something equally warm and also soft. Blinking the dizziness away, she glanced upwards and met a pair of surprised, blue eyes. The familiarity shocked her so hard that she almost forgot how to breath. For a few moments she silently gaped at him until-

''Who the heck are you? Stop clinging at my Mamo-chan like that!''

 _Mamo-chan?_ Had she made a mistake? Well, it was true that she wasn't the best at magic. Slowly she turned around to face the owner of that annoyingly chirpy voice. The aura of the object she sought was coming with strong waves from the blonde girl frowing at her and that could mean only one thing. And yet she found herself unable to believe it. Because everything about that girl and _her_ was different. But whoever she was, she still had it and so she knew what to do. She got on her feet and brought out the gun she had carried all the way from her home. The girl's face paled as she aimed it at her head.

''You have the Silver Crystal, don't you? Give it to me. Hurry up!''

She had to get it no matter what.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 15: Aubade**

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The silence was so heavy that Usagi could clearly hear the old clock ticking from the kitchen. Her father, in an effort to break the awkwardness, started talking about his work with her mother eagerly joining in the conversation. Even the usually quiet Shingo shared some things that happened to his school that day.

But Usagi wasn't listening to anything they were saying. She had barely even touched her food. And it was all because of that pink-haired brat sitting across from her on the dinner table. The kid was eating her food silently, that ridiculous ball that resembled Luna balancing on her thighs. Usagi was certain that she was a witch. Because she would remember having a cousin with whom she spend last New Year's with. That kid had ruined her date, put her family under a spell and demanded the silver crystal. The mere fact that she had any knowledge of it was alarming. She gave a small pet to Luna, who was curled on her thighs, paws resting on the pocket she had placed her brooch. They needed to be extra careful from now on.

Luna clawed at her hand and Usagi excused herself. She could feel those red eyes staring at her back all the way to the staircase leading to her bedroom. She slammed her door open and sank at its base the moment it closed. Her room was still a mess, a mess that girl had made. Obviously, she had been searching for the Silver Crystal.

"Luna what should I do?"

Luna jumped on her desk, deep in thought. "For now let's just watch and wait until she shows her true colors."

"You are thinking too passively." That girl was acting as innocent as an angel as if waiting for something. Usagi didn't want to have her in the house near her family and her crystal. After all the threats she and the others had overcome, she wanted to finish with this as soon as possible and enjoy a peaceful life. Suddenly, the door swang open making Usagi fall forward and hit her head on the wardrobe. Her brooch fell from her pocket and slid under her bed. Luna didn't waste time on following it.

Usagi got up ready to unleash hell on her little brother for playing pranks on her again. She wasn't supposed to be surprised when she saw the newcomer instead. The girl was glaring at her with her little arms crossed over her chest. Usagi would have considered it adorable if she wasn't searching for one of the two most powerful weapons in the universe. A chill ran down her spine at the thought. Was she searching for Mamoru's crystal as well?

"Give me the Silver Crystal!"

She made to enter the room, but Usagi acted fast and closed the door on her face. She locked it quickly, ignoring the girl's demands as she tidied up her bedroom. Eventually they stopped and a peak from the keyhole confirmed that the hallway was empty. Luna snack out of her hiding place and Usagi secured her brooch on her school uniform before wearing her pajamas and slipping into bed with Luna curled beside her.

It didn't take long for her to fall asleep and it didn't take long for her to wake up. She struggled with the little intruder, completely ignoring her demands to give her the Silver crystal. Footsteps sounded on the hallway and her father opened her door, scowling at the sight he witnessed.

"Usagi! Don't be mean to her."

"She must be lonely, because she came alone from Tokyo."

"You have to be nice to her, stupid!"

It was then that Usagi realised that she had a pest in her house.

* * *

It was a beautiful day. The sky was a canvas of blue with white clouds scattered here and there. It was truly a beautiful day and yet Kagari couldn't take that forebonding feeling from his mind. He sensed Rei's presence approaching and sat up from where he was lying on the grass in order to make room for her under the shade of the tree. Phobos and Deimos crowed at her appearance and she smiled up at them before sitting down and placing a tray with two teacups between herself and Kagari.

They sipped quietly for a while, simply enjoying the silence and each other's company. Kagari finished the last of his tea with a big gulp and proceeded to play with the teacup. A few minutes passed lke this, before Rei sighed and placed her now empty cup on the tray.

"That day... It was too close."

Her words brought Kagari back to that night. He remembered Mamoru's bloody form on Usagi's arms as he remembered Endymion's on Serenity's. But he had gotten up this time. They had gotten up. Gold and Silver had clenched everything that had been corrupted. Kagari was glad that they came back. He wouldn't be able to stand losing his prince again.

One glance at Rei and he understood that their thoughts were similar. "So, you didn't find anything?"

"The fire didn't tell me anything about that girl, but there's something wrong."

"I know what you mean."

"Will you check again later?"

"I don't think it's going to make any difer-"

"Just do it!"

"Fine. Fine. I will."

Rei suddenly twitched and turned her head to the left. "Usagi is here."

"She'll want to know about- what the hell happened to you?"

Usagi knelt on the soft grass, lifting a hand to stop any other question as she took deep breaths. Her hair was disheveled and there were black lines under her eyes.

"I haven't eaten or slept well since that brat's appearance. And those stairs.. You should really consider putting an elevator. The era of the Moon Kingdom is long gone!"

Rei huffed disapprovingly and crossed her arms over her chest. "This is a Shrine, a sacred place. Those holy grounds won't be tainted by such comforts. Those stairs are ancient and-"

"So, what kind of witch is that brat and how do we defeat her?"

"The fire has nothing to say about that. And listen to me when I'm talking!"

Usagi's face fell. "But I was so certain that she was one. What am I going to do? Ah, can I leave _it_ here with you?"

"It's safer in your hands, princess.", Kagari disclosed. "By the way, that girl you are worried about.."

"Hm, what about her?"

"Does she have pink hair, red eyes and a balloon that resembles Luna?"

"How did you know?", Rei enquired. "I didn't show you her picture. Don't tell me, you had a vision?!"

Kagari nodded slowly. "In fact I'm still having it. She is hiding behind those bushes over there."

"What?"

Usagi turned to the direction Kagari was pointing at faster than a whirlwind and glared at the pink hair sticking out of the greenery. She sprinted there quickly and lifted the intruder from her hiding place.

"Why do you follow me around? That's it! You are going to tell me everything after your punishment!"

"Usagi, wait-"

Rei flinched as Usagi started spanking the little girl. The latter started screaming in pain with every hit, tears filling her red eyes.

"Who are you?"

Another spank.

"Where are you from?!"

Another one.

"Why are you looking for the Silver crystal?"

Kagari sensed the energy building up before it was unleashed. A somewhat familiar aura surrounded the girl before it exploded into a pillar of blinding light. He didn't have the time to create a shield as he and Rei were blusted away by the power. Usagi was forced to let go of her 'cousin' and fell roughly on her back. She sat up quickly and stared at the sobbing girl in front of her.

"Who... are you?"

Before she could do anything else, a dark shadow fell upon the two of them, hiding the setting sun.

"I finally found you, little rabbit."

* * *

Mamoru sighed for the umptenth time and took another long sip of his coffee. He cringed at the bitterness on his tongue, but gulped the liquid down nonetheless. He tucked the hot cup between his hands as he leaned on the soft pillows of his favorite armchair. From beside him Yukio shot him a concerned look, but he couldn't bring himself to offer any reassurances. The leader of his guardians was most certainly thinking that his lack of enthusiasm was caused by the fact that he used his healing powers excessively. Mamoru admitted to himself that this wasn't exactly wrong. He was feeling a bit tired, but this was the least of his problems right now. He gripped his cup a bit tighter as he recalled that little girl falling from the sky and threatening Usagi for the Silver crystal.

"All I'm saying is that she may have forgotten about it."

"How does one forget about their cousin?"

"They do if their memories have recently returned."

"And what about the Silver crystal?"

"Maybe she told her about it as a bedtime story. Little kids like magic, don't they?''

Mamoru slammed his cup on his table and shot an irritating look at Kaito and Satoru. "But I remember everything!"

Kaito flicked his ponytail, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. "From a scale from 1 to 10 how sure are you?"

Mamoru was glad that Yukio put a hand on his shoulder for he was certain that his next words would have been quite hurtfult. He was just frustrated that problem after problem, crisis after crisis was appearing in their lives. It would have been wrong to take it out on his friends, his family, no matter how understanding they were going to be.

Makoto came from the kitchen and placed a plate full of donuts in the middle of the table. She sunk to the ground next to Satoru and took a sip of her jasmine tea. The setting sun played with her hair, making them take an almost orange glow. "Whatever that little girl wants, we will face it. We haven't even met her yet and Rei didn't see anything in the fire. That means she isn't a big threat, if she is one at all."

"She knows about the Silver Crystal and fell on me from the sky. This isn't normal.", Mamoru sighed.

"Mamoru is right. We shouldn't take this lightly.", Yukio agreed, getting up from the couch. "Let's go see her for ourselves."

Kaito nodded and grabbed a donut from the plate. "Let's finish those first."

It was then that the earth started to shake, causing everyone to lose their balance. Mamoru gripped his head as a sudden pain hit his temples. The Earth was hurting and so was he. All the lights in the apartment went off, but the large pillar of light that suddenly appeared was enough to illuminate the darkness.

Satoru stood, pulling Makoto with him, and narrowed his eyes at the light that flickered and then completely vanished from sight. "That came from the Shrine, didn't it?"

Mamoru wasted no time. Ignoring the throbbing that still lingered, he stood and pushed the balcony's doors open.

"Let's go.", he said and jumped from the railing, his transformation manifesting in midair.

He didn't need to look back in order to know that they were following him.

* * *

The explosion was massive. Blue and red collided fiercely, the two colors fighting for dominance. At that moment, Rei was glad that the Shrine was empty except of herself, Kagari and Usagi.

"Who are you?", Kagari asked as they circled the new enemy.

She flicked her purple eyes toward him nonchalantly, before replying. "I am Koan, the youngest of the four Ayakashi sisters." The black and reversed crescent moon on her forehead sent shivers down everyone's spine. "Stop getting in my way."

She raised her hands and blue fair fell from the sky. Rei ran to Usagi's side and shielded her from the attack as Kagari did the same with the pink-haired girl who had passed out long ago. The moment the rain of flames stopped, he dashed forward and their attacks created another explosion. When the smoke disappeared, he found himself trapped in a ring of her flames. He destroyed it quickly, just in time to see Usagi bodyslamming their enemy away from her 'cousin'. But the attack she had unleashed didn't stop. The flames would have reached their target if Mamoru hadn't scooped her up and dodged to the left. Kagari sighed in relief as Makoto, Yukio, Satoru and Kaito assembled around him.

Usagi unleashed her newest attack, but Koan was quick to evade it. She sent everyone a cold look before vanishing. Kagari was certain that this wouldn't be their last encounter.

"So, this is your cousin.", Makoto exclaimed, staring at the girl snuggled in Mamoru's embrace. Her tiny fingers were clasping his uniform tightly even though she seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

"She isn't my cousin!"

"What happened here?", Yukio asked, eyes locked at the place their enemy had been standing on a few minutes ago.

Kagari came closer and sighed in experation. "New enemy. She said her name was Koan of the four Ayakashi sisters. She is after this little girl for some reason."

"You mean the little girl that created a pillar of light that reached the heavens.", Rei huffed as she joined their circle. "You were right, Usagi. There is something fishy about her."

"She has some kind of power, then.", Satoru concluded.

"Usagi, let's get her to your house.", Mamoru stated, suddenly serious. "Is that okay?"

"Ah, yes. I don't mind. She is staying there and all."

"Good. Let's go. We'll talk about the enemy later."

Usagi touched Mamoru's arm and her magic enveloped them before they dissapeared. Silence reigned for a few minutes as everyone took the time to think over the recent events. They were like this when Minako and Ami found them.

Kaito crossed his arms over his chest as he willed his transformation to disappear. "Where have you two been? You didn't answer my call earlier."

"Sorry, we were busy.", Minako replied as her eyes examined the damage done to the Shrine. Burns were evident everywhere, but it was nothing that couldn't be fixed with an evening of hard work.

Ami tucked her glasses inside her pocket as she closed her computer. "We have new enemies to defeat.", she announced and stepped inside the Shrine to start explaining the situation to her long-time friends.

* * *

"She sure is peaceful, when asleep."

Little Usagi shifted in her sleep, moaning something that didn't even reach Luna's sensitive ears. Mamoru, still transformed, adjusted her blankets and tucked them nicely around her small shoulders.

"We would have helped her if she had told us about her problem.", she continued, eyes glued on the man sitting at the foot of her bed.

The moonlight was illuminating his figure, reminding her of times long ago. Of days that they would travel across the stars to get a glimpse of each other. Now they were so close and still forces were constantly trying to tear them apart. Unconsciously, she reached for his hand and squeezed. Even through his glove, he could feel the warmth he radiated, the power that flew through his veins. Their eyes met and for a moment he saw him dressed in armor and he felt the softeness of a dress surround her body.

"What should we call her?", Mamoru asked, never breaking contact with neither his eyes nor his hand.

"What about Chibiusa? Little Usagi."

''Good idea. She does look a bit like you."

"Does not!"

"Fine. Fine. I have to go now. Goodnight.", Mamoru said, leaning in for a kiss. Usagi leaned forward in response, meeting his lips halfway. They were both panting when they separated. With one last smile, Mamoru turned away and jumped to the night. Usagi closed the window behind him and slipped under the covers beside her 'cousin'. Luna curled between them, purring when Usagi petted her soft fur. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep.

At the same time, Mamoru landed on his apartment's balcony and allowed his transformation to fade. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he sent a quick message to Yukio just to let him know that he was home and safe. He wasn't surprised when he turned on the lights and saw Apollo waiting for him, curled up on the couch.

"You are back.", the feline stated, streching his muscles.

"I am.", Mamoru said, heading for the kitchen and starting the preparations for a cup of coffee. Apollo jumped on the counter, obviously displeased with his choice of beverage. But he was the Prince of Earth with amazing healing powers. He could handle a few bad diet choices here and there.

"Did Luna tell you about it?"

Mamoru hummed, as he set the coffee machine going. "More aliens?"

"Could be."

"Objective?"

"Unknown."

Mamoru sighed, filling his cup with coffee. The aroma was pleasing and the warmth more than welcome. He took a long sip. It was perfect.

"We can always interrogate that girl. She may be even working with the enemy."

"She is not and we will not interrogate her. Granted, she is hiding something, but give her time to gather her thoughts. Anyway, she isn't dangerous for us."

"As you wish.", Apollo sighed, climbing on his usual spot on the bed. Mamoru raised an eyebrows at the lack of argument his guardian cat displayed. However, he quickly blamed it on tiredness. He, Artemis and Luna have been up for hours after all in order to investigate the new enemies. He changed his clothes quickly and slipped under the covers beside Apollo. He kept his eyes glued to the full moon outside until he fell asleep.

Even so, his dreams were haunted by cities made of crystal.

* * *

Chibiusa had spent the night searching the house. From the living room to the bathroom. And yet there had been no sign of the crystal. The sun had risen already, but the house was still asleep.

Sighing, she opened the door and exited the house. The house that didn't feel like home. The neighborhood was foreign as well. She walked around aimesly until she came across a quiet playground. It was too early for children to be out and about and yet there she was. Out and alone. She figured that she must be more cautious. Maybe it would have been better if she had stayed hidden in the house. Away from the enemy's watchful eye. Still, she couldn't help but want to crawl out of that place with any cost.

Luna-P flew over to the swings and she followed. They were her favorite, but right now she wasn't in the mood to play. She dug the edges of her shoes in the mud, not caring that they would get sticky and dirty. Her fingers clutched the key around her neck as the faces of her family came to her mind. Tears were threatening to fall when Usagi spoke.

"What's wrong? You left without telling anyone. Everyone had been worried about you."

Her voice wasn't loud and annoyingly chirpy now. It was kind and soothing and loving and it sounded just like hers. The tears were burning her eyelids now. She willed them back as Mamoru crouched on her level. His eyes were like a magnet and she couldn't help but turn to face him.

"Chibiusa, let's go. I'll take you home." He extended his hand for her to take and she all but leapt to his embrace. He tensed a bit at the action, but hugged her back. This was what home truly felt like. Cozy and warm.

With ease, Mamoru lifted her up and carried her piggy bag toward the house. Usagi walked next to them, a thoughtful expression on her face. She reached for a device on her hand and pressed a few buttons before leaving it be. Chibiusa knew exactly what the device was, but had no clue about what Usagi had used it for. Luna -Usagi's Luna- leapt at her owner's embrace, clearly tired of walking around so much. Chibiusa didn't let the guilt of making them search for her all morning get to her.

"Chibiusa, get off Mamo-chan already and walk on your own." There was it again. That annoying voice that was so unlike her.

She stuck her tongue at her and tightened her grip on Mamoru's shoulders. "No way! And stop calling me Chibiusa! My name is Usagi, you know?"

"No, I'm Usagi! And the guy carrying you is my boyfriend!"

"Wrong! Mamo-chan is my boyfriend."

"No! Mamo-chan and I share a deep bond of love."

She huffed at that. She was certain that their bond was stronger. And deeper. And better.

Her carrier chuckled. "Come on now, Usako. Chibiusa is still a little girl. She is just lonely."

"Eh, you are still calling me that!"

"Ah, sorry. But you know, Usagi thought it up yesterday and I think it sounds cute."

"Really?"

"Yes, it is really cute."

"In that case, you can call me Chibiusa.", she announced, hugging Mamoru tighter.

"You go ahead and have fun. You might as well marry her.", Usagi said, speeding up her pace. Luna sighed in her embrace, suddenly wishing that she had stuck to walking. Before they knew it, they were studying in front of the Tsukino residence with Mamoru setting Chibiusa down as Usagi's family welcomed her home with justified reprimands.

"So, Usagi. Who's that man? I think I have seen him before.", Kenji asked, causing all color to drain from his daughter's face. Mamoru wasn't fairing any better as he wondered how many times would he have to introduce himself to Usagi's family.

"Uh... this is my f-friend, Chiba Mamoru."

"N-nice to meet you.", Mamoru said, bowing lightly in respect.

"Thank you for taking care of my daughter.", Ikuko smiled before ushering Chibiusa inside.

"He is too good-looking to be stupid Usagi's boyfriend.", Shingo huffed, ignoring the deadly look his sister shot him.

"Is that true, Usagi?!", Kengi shouted, eyes wide.

"I was in the middle of my morning jog, so.. excuse me.", Mamoru replied and turned to leave. He paid no attention at Kenji's demands to wait and even sped up his pace the minute he rounded the corner.

Usagi's family was the last thing he wanted to face right now.

* * *

The lyrics had been written long ago, in a time long forgotten by the world. When the Moon was a planet full of life and magic was common among the people of Earth.

The melody was just as ancient, mayhaps even more so. The musician had webed the notes together before tying the words.

The song that they birthed flew easily, filling the silence and yet not disturbing it. Long ago, one may have recognised it as a song to warn lovers that their parting was nearing.

Helios closed his eyes and breathed in slowly, enjoying the memories the Maenads were gifting him with. From his position on the temple's staircase he could see them sitting among the roses; one's fingers dancing on a harp, the other's voice accompanying the sound.

A small, appreciative smile found it's way on his lips. He was grateful for their resolve to help him relax a bit. To him they were family. And Elysion was his home. He would do anything to protect it. Because protecting it, meant protecting his prince.

He felt the energy before Apollo appeared behind him, the glow from his crescent mark fading steadily. He regarded him with a warm smile, but Apollo's anxious expression remained unchanged.

"There has been an attack. I was hoping you could give us some insight about it."

Helios nodded mechanically. "I'm afraid it isn't in my power. I only know what you know about this matter."

"I see.", Apollo mumbled thoughtfully. He had hoped that Helios would know something, but it seemed he was incorrect.

A heavy silence occurred between them until the moment Helios gasped and fell on his knees. Apollo's worried voice didn't reach him as he clutched tightly at the fabric of his coat. The music stopped abruptly, followed by a loud thud. Apollo's head jerked towards the sound and a chill run down his spine at the unconscious forms of the Maedans.

There was a deafening sound that made his ears buzz before everything went black.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 16: Beginning of the end**

 _Why?!_

 _How could you?_

 _He loved you!_

 _"What do you mean?_ "

 _Usagi's question echoed in the darkness surrounding her. A moment ago there were voices accusing her of... something, but now all was silent._ _It continued on for a few moments as she flowed into the nothingness._

 _A path of light materialised under her feet, slowly expanding and creating shapes around her. And suddenly Mamo-chan was in front of her in his full armor, smiling and offering her his hand. A palace she had never seen before was forming behind him, but she paid it no mind as she ran to him._ _The moment she touched him, he broke into a thousand pieces and she screamed his name as the world swirled around her. All the while a voice far louder than hers was booming in her ears._

"STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" Usagi shouted as she bolted from her chair.

A second of silence ensued before her whole classroom broke into laughter.

Usagi looked around confusedly as she slid down in her chair, turning red from embarrassment. The situation got worse when her teacher came to stand above her with a scowl on his face. Long story short, he sent her away with her latest failed test at hand.

Any other day she would have been upset about her low grades, but not today. She just couldn't shake that dream away. The dream that couldn't be a dream. Because she had seen it three times already.

It had been two days since the incident at the Shrine and everyone was on edge. Herself included. The only lax one was Kagari who miraculously was under the impression that everything was going to turn out okay.

As expected, her house was empty. There was a note stuck on the fridge, informing her that her mother and Chibiusa were out shopping. The silence was a blessing. Since Chibiusa's appearance she had to be always on alert. The little girl would occasionally burst inside her room, demanding to have the crystal.

In addition, no matter how much Usagi pressured her she wouldn't reveal anything about herself. If she wanted their help, they were going to give it to her, but not the way she wanted it. Handing a child a millennium old and powerful artifact wasn't in the things she would be doing... well never.

Her room was empty as well. Somehow Luna's absence weighed down on her. Even though she hadn't told the feline about the nature of her dreams, she had always been there to comfort her and lull her to sleep again. Suddenly, the house felt too small, like a cage trapping her inside.

She had to go out.

She needed to go out.

She left a note about going to Minako's house in the kitchen for her parents before leaving.

As she beheld the beautiful day in front of her, she forced herself to believe that everything was going to be fine.

But that was before the friends she could reach out for comfort became diminished in numbers.

* * *

Rei had never felt comfortable at her school. Playing the role of the perfect princess had always been challenging. Her every move was being watched and criticised and it disgusted her.

But that didn't mean that she wanted her classmates to come to any harm.

And so when that woman -Koan- reappeared at her school two things were clear.

One; she knew who she was.

Two; she had come for her.

Her enemy didn't hesitate on making those facts even clearer. She attacked the moment Rei transformed and they immediately got absorbed in a dance of fire.

To a spectator the battle would have been a sight to behold. Crimson and blue embers were colliding, cancelling each other out and exploding. Like the sky of a summer festival. Full of colors, stars and fire.

But to Rei it was hell.

She wasn't used to this. Being burned by fire. Bothered by heat. Even at a young age, when she hadn't awakened as the Sailor Senshi of Mars, she had never been afraid of any flame.

Koan's fire was different. It made her sweat and feel dizzy. There were clouds forming in her vision. Everything was happening so fast. She was having trouble taking stock of the events. Pure instinct was driving her now rather than controlled power and strategy.

It was too fast until it became too slow.

She screamed. At least she thought she did. Every inch of her skin was burning. Hot tears were falling from her eyes. Her breath was being taken away.

Usagi shouted something. A name? An attack? Her name? She couldn't be sure.

For a moment she felt something cold and welcoming. It quickly disappeared from her senses, but she was fairly certain that it had been Ami's power surrounding her. Trying to save her.

Someone was talking again, but she couldn't make out the words. Her sensitive senses recognised her friends one by one. All but one.

Kagari wasn't present and she didn't know how to feel about that. If he had been there maybe they could have defeated Koan. Together. Or maybe he would end up having the same fate as her.

She didn't want that for him. She didn't want that for anyone.

The voices were fading. She opened her eyes, but only blue greeted her vision.

And then there was silence.

Silence and darkness.

* * *

The room was silent.

Usagi was silent.

Mamoru was silent.

Kaito could almost hear his own heart beating.

"I... I can't find... her."

A sob escaped Usagi's lips and Mamoru pulled her closer to his chest, stroking her back comfortingly.

Ami bit her lip and made to analyse the data for the fourth time, but Kaito clasped her hand in his own. She looked up at him and reluctantly gave up on her efforts. The center's computer was advanced. If there was anything to be discovered, it would have already.

That, of course, didn't make the situation any easier.

Minako cleared her throat to gain everyone's attention. "From now on no one is allowed to operate alone."

"If you encounter an enemy, wait for backup before engaging."

Of course, only Minako and Yukio could bottle up their feelings this early and turn everything professional. Like one of their friends hadn't been abducted or worse a few hours ago. Not that Kaito blamed them. Someone had to take on that role. There was a reason they were the leaders.

Of course that wasn't the reason no one offered an objection. Maybe Makoto would have if she wasn't on patrol duty with Satoru. Even so, she would have known that it was the right thing to do.

After that, Usagi mumbled something about wanting to go home and so the center started filling out until only Kaito and Ami remained behind.

For a long time no one said anything.

In Kaito's opinion, there was nothing to be said. Rei was gone. Had vanished right in front of their eyes and ended up who knows where. The only way to find her was by finding the enemy's hideout. Which was more difficult than it sounded. Even more so now that the center's computer proved useless on giving them some clues.

Slowly Ami rose from her chair and picked her back from the floor. Kaito watched her as she searched for something through its contexts.

She looked terrible. Her eyes were red and occasionally a tear would glide down her face.

Kaito felt his heart twist painfully. He wasn't good at this. Consoling people. He didn't know what to do, what to say.

How do you console a person who has lost someone important? How do you assure them that everything is going to be fine when you yourself are uncertain? Is it best not to say anything? Anything at all?

Ami found what she was searching for. A white, unsealed envelope. She turned to look at him with those big blue eyes of hers gleaming with unshed tears and instantly all his insecurities were forgotten.

The envelope was cramped between their bodies as he hugged her and let her cry to his chest. Right now none of them cared. After a while, Ami gently pulled away and he let her compose herself before speaking.

"We'll find her." He didn't care that they didn't have enough Intel. They always found each other. No matter what.

Ami simply smiled at that, but he was certain she had read his line of thinking. "I received this yesterday." He took the envelope from her outstretched hand and pulled the paper out.

With every word his heart sank a bit deeper.

* * *

Minako and Yukio had escorted them halfway to Usagi's house.

They had left with warnings of not doing anything risky, understanding that the pair needed some privacy.

Yet, even after said privacy was achieved, the tense atmosphere between them didn't change.

The walk was silent with both of them keeping a visible distance between them. Usagi was leading the way, while Mamoru followed behind. Like two strangers walking down the same path.

Usagi stopped in front of her house. The lights were off, a detail Mamoru was glad for. Still, through the faint moonlight, he could make out a cat's shadow watching them from Usagi's window. It didn't stay there for long. Luna was anything, but prying. He made a mental note to thank her for that later.

"Let's end this."

The words were spoken in a faint whisper, but in the silence of the night Mamoru easily deciphered them. It didn't mean that he understood them.

"End what?"

Usagi's shoulders tensed and her breath hitched. She took a calming one and clenched her fists before answering. "This relationship."

"What? Usagi, you can't be serious!"

"I am! Because we had something in a past life, doesn't mean we have to continue with it now. This is a new world, a new life. I don't want it to end as soon as Rei's did."

Mamoru felt the urge to laugh, cry and yell at Usagi at the same time. But he didn't have the chance to because with a swift motion she turned around and marched to him. She squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek, before running inside her house, out of his view, out of his reach.

Mamoru was left behind with the ghost of her lips on his skin, her brooch in his hand and the realization that this was goodbye.

* * *

The stars were silent and Satoru, despite his understanding regarding their ways, was feeling the frustration building up behind his eyelids. It was a dull sensation on his temples and the back of his head. He hated it.

"He is gone too, isn't he? Just like Rei."

Makoto pushed a cup of coffee in his hands and sat beside him on the couch. Her apartment was dark save for the two small candles she had lit when they had entered through her balcony.

After Rei had vanished, she and Satoru had parted ways with the others. The patrol around Rei's school had gone well. Locating Kagari's position and giving him an earful about not answering Rei's call for help was another story.

"It's likely, but something doesn't add up. He didn't call for us. Surely, he must have known better than face someone on his own. Not after the attack at the Shrine."

"He might not have been able to." Satoru uttered in a small voice.

Makoto leaned against him. "We'll have them back. We'll have them back whatever it takes."

Satoru nodded and took out his phone. "We haven't told Mamoru yet."

"Maybe we should wait until tomorrow. Usagi didn't pick up. We can tell them face to face."

Satoru frowned, debating.

"There is nothing we can do now anyway."


End file.
